


31 Days of Huxloween

by CloverSwan



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Autumn, Fluff, Halloween, Huxlo, Huxloween, Kylux - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-17 20:53:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 39,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12373848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloverSwan/pseuds/CloverSwan
Summary: Collection of one shots, drabble, and snippets inspired by Huxloween 2017 prompts.





	1. Magic in the Mayhem

**Author's Note:**

> Story inspired by Huxloween 2017 Day 1 prompt-Unsolved Mysteries. Decided to throw our boys into a Victorian-esque AU!

Huxloween #1-Unsolved Mysteries

 

Inspector Armitage Hux, Scotland Yard, strolled the perimeter of the crime scene, his eyes scanning the body from a distance, his mind filing away minute details for later and committing it all to memory. It was the third body in two weeks. No leads, no witnesses, nothing but restless nights spent roaming the dank London streets looking for answers. Like the previous two victims, she was young and an unfortunate, a polite way of saying she was a woman of the night making money in alleys with strange men. This made the list of suspects long and impossible to disentangle. Not like these women carried a list of patrons, most of the time names weren’t even exchanged. Also like the others, her small coin bag still held the night’s profit (meager at best) ruling out robbery or a pimp looking to get what he thought was owed. No, this was a man of sick mind who relished the thrill of the first slice and delighted in keeping trophies from his conquests. 

A junior officer made the mistake of lifting a corner of the tarp that covered poor Bonnie Lass only to drop it and run from the immediate vicinity to empty his stomach contents. No one made a comment for he wasn’t the only one to lose himself in that way these last couple of weeks. Inspector Hux gave the young lad a sideways glance of pity. The sight of the mangled corpse would surely haunt the boy for the rest of his days. 

Hux was no stranger to murder, discovering the body of his own mother, twisted and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition by the man he would later learn was his father. He had been all of five at the time, a scrawny boy the color of paper and about at thick. His mother was a kitchen maid in General Brendol Hux’s house, the details were murky but either by poor romantic choices or a night when drink had overcome the general’s senses, his mother became pregnant and to spite her monster of a husband, Mrs. Hux had allowed both kitchen maid and bastard to stay in the house. As for the ill-fated night his mother met her demise, those details were all too well known. Brendol Hux had stumbled home, pocket empty of coin and stomach full of strong alcohol, as was often the case, but tonight he also brought with him a storm of fury. Young Hux heard the servants’ quarters’ doors burst open as if an explosive had been laid before it. His mother, the last time he would see her alive, had quickly urged her son under the bed, blocking him from view with a few boxes she had kept there. 

“Stay hidden and stay quiet,” she instructed him.

Hux wanted to pull her under as well, say something assuring to her, but fear gripped his body and his throat leaving him to tremble under the bed, eyes screwed shut. She left the room, closing the door silently behind her. Hux could hear the man of the house yelling but he couldn’t make out exactly what was being said, nor could he decipher what his mother was saying back but he could tell she was trying her best to be soothing and calming, something that was clearly a mistake. She only screamed once. The lead inspector would later tell young Hux that the first blow had effectively ended her life, that was how hard she had been hit. Everything after that was a rage-filled display of his dominance as he continued to eviscerate the woman’s face with the hammer he had found sitting on a bookshelf, left there by the resident handyman after he had repaired a floor board. Hux had stayed under the bed well after the loud thumps and incoherent sputtering of Brendol had ceased. Slowly he crawled free from his place of safe keeping, still too afraid to call out for his mother. Shaky hands found the door knob, it took a few tries to get it to work but he did eventually manage to get the door open. He immediately wished he hadn’t. There his mother lay, or what was left of her. Her body looked fine enough but where her head should be, there was only a pile of indiscernible viscera. He wanted to scream but feared the sound would brink back the master of the house and he wouldn’t be able to defend himself. Unsteady legs carried the boy out of the servants’ house and onto the streets. He tried to catch the attention of passersby but it was no use, the people of London were jaded by the constant begging of those less fortunate, and so he walked on continuing his sad pleas to anyone who he would pass. He eventually located a policeman and lost all his composure, breaking into a fit of tears and sputters he did his best to explain what happened but all he managed was to pull on the man’s sleeve crying “He killed her!” over and over until the confused officer followed the boy back the way he came. 

It took no time at all to locate Brendol Hux, he handed wandered back down to the pub he had come from and there he was taken into custody. A serving girl who was on her way to the servants’ quarters from the main house was a secondary witness, saying she had seen the master enter the smaller house and return covered in the kitchen maid’s blood. He was still soaked in it when they found him. His trial was short and his incarceration guaranteed when his wife refused to provide the funds to help his defense, not that he had one. Little Hux was brought into the main house where Mrs. Hux treated him as her own, never having children herself. It was on his twelfth birthday she finally told him the truth about his mother and her killer, how he had been his father and they had had some sort of affair. Hux never wanted the family name but it was thrust upon him all the same and while his father had been a disgrace to society, his adoptive mother made the name something of value with her many donations and charity work. She sent him to fine schools, made sure he had the best tailored clothing, and even tried to get him acquainted with the highest quality ladies in society. The clothes were appreciated, the schooling his real passion, and the high society girls fell to the wayside as he made his decision to become an inspector with Scotland Yard. 

Armitage shook the memories from his mind and returned his focus to the task at hand. He crossed the small courtyard back to where the body was currently resting. He waved over two officers and had them lift the sheet again, both looking away not wanting to reacquaint themselves with mess, so Inspector Hux could reevaluate the corpse. Like the others, her throat had been slit first, left to right from behind, her face sustained a few minor lacerations at the edges of her mouth, and finally she had been slit down the center to be gutted. The first victim had her liver removed, the second a kidney, and miss Bonnie here was missing the better part of her small intestines. What purpose these mementos served was still beyond him, the only theory he gave any credence to was that they helped the killer relive the thrill over and over again, the other ideas were too ghastly to consider. 

He knelt down further noticing something he had missed on her wrist upon first inspection. It was some sort of black powder smeared by a thumb perhaps when the killer had grabbed her. He recognized the scent the closer he got, it was Sulphur mixed with aluminum-nitrate. It was a powder used by magicians and photographers alike to make a flash. He eyed the crime scene photographer, flagging him over when he finished snapping another picture.

“Yes inspector?” the photographer questioned.

“This powder, it’s used for photography yes?” Hux inquired holding up a finger with a light coating of the substance in question.

“It can be sir, most of us prefer a different sort of concoction. The Sulphur is stable enough but this requires a higher end aluminum, Dark German they calls it, costs a fortune and photography well, it doesn’t exactly pay top dollar.”

Hux nodded taking all the information in. “And who might use a powder more like this one?”

“A well-paid photographer perhaps? Or one of those fancy magicians. Like that Kylo Ren fellow.”

“Thank you, sir, you’ve been most helpful,” Hux replied dismissing the other man. 

 

Kylo Ren was an easy enough man to find, the American magician lived a life of luxury touring the stages of the world. Currently he was living in the finest suite in London’s finest hotel, surrounded by the whose who of hangers on in high society. With a flash of his badge, Inspector Hux was escorted to the door of Ren’s suite and given a proper introduction.

“Inspector Armitage Hux, Scotland Yard,” the young bellhop announced as he let Hux into the room.

“Good afternoon Mr. Ren,” Hux greeted with a bow of the head.

“Good afternoon inspector. Thank you Charles, that will be all,” Ren replied. The young bellhop gave a final look between the men and realizing he wasn’t to be tipped, left in a small huff. “What can I do you for inspector? Autograph perhaps?”

Hux watched the younger man circle the couch and take a seat. His long, muscular legs folded one over another while his arms rested on the back of the couch. He was the picture of relaxation and Hux envied him a bit for it, never being one to relax himself. He took a seat in the chair opposite the dark-haired man and gave a polite smile. “I’m afraid not, I’m here on business.”

“I’m intrigued, go on.”

“Are you familiar with the recent murders in White Chapel?” Hux asked pulling a notepad and pen from his pocket.

“Only what I read in the papers. Those poor girls.”

“There’s been a third murder Mr. Ren.”

“Kylo please, a third you say?”

Hux nodded. “Found this morning. Bonnie Lass, another unfortunate.”

“That is terrible but I fail to see what it has to do with me inspector.”

“Our killer has been without fault up until this morning. We found a powder on the victim’s wrist, a flash powder as it were.”

Kylo’s relaxed demeanor became tense and instead of lounging he sat upright. “A flash powder?”

“Yes, and from what I gathered, a rather pricey one at that.”

“You suspect me inspector?”

Hux shrugged. “Currently everyone is Mr. …Kylo. Just following a lead. Do you have an alibi for last night?”

“I do indeed. I was at rehearsal. There are 10 other people who can attest to that.”

“And after?”

“Here, with two other people who can attest to that,” Kylo answered with a smirk. 

“I’ll need names.”

“I’ll gladly provide them.”

Hux passed his notebook and pen over to the waiting hands of Kylo Ren, their fingers brushing as the items exchanged hands. Kylo grinned and gave the inspector a wink causing color to flush Hux’s cheeks. He quickly recovered and relaxed into the high-backed chair.

“You seem rather young to be the lead inspector on such a high-profile case,” Kylo remarked as he jotted down the names of the people he had spent his evening with.

“I learn fast and work hard.”

“Sharp mind I take it.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“I can see that.”

Armitage continued to watch Kylo scribble away. He was handsome in a unique way; his nose and mouth would perhaps be called too large by some but seemed just right on Kylo’s face. His hair was dark and longer than was the fashion but again, it suited him in a way. He was very much the opposite of Hux whose copper colored hair was kept short and perfectly tamed. His own features were pert and delicate, taking after his mother in that way. Hux smoothed down his uniform and waited for Kylo to finish his task. 

“This should be everyone,” Kylo sighed handing the pad back over. “You know, there are other magicians in town.”

“I’m aware, just figured I would start at the top.”

“You say the flash powder was of higher quality?”

Hux nodded. “I was told that the Dark German aluminum that is used in it makes it rather pricey.”

“It does indeed. I seem to remember reading that the murders were performed with almost medical precision.”

“Yes,” Hux answered suspiciously.

“A magician would most likely not possess the surgical skills necessary to complete the task.”

“My first thought was a surgeon as well.”

“A surgeon would most likely also have the money for higher end flash powder.”

“What would a surgeon need flash powder for?” Hux wondered aloud.

Kylo leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees fully engrossed now, “Pictures perhaps?”

“Taking pictures for a medical publication or even a class.” Hux too was leaning forward now. 

“He could even be taking photos for his own pleasure. He takes organs from the bodies yes? Perhaps this is a similar ghastly token.”

“Seems I have some doors to knock on,” Hux said jumping up from his chair.

Kylo rose from the couch as well and grabbed his jacket off the cushion next to him. “Where do we start?”

“We?” Hux asked incredulously. “What we? You are not a member of Scotland Yard, you are a civilian and not even a citizen of this country.”

“Yes but, it was my idea,” Kylo argued walking toward the door in step with Hux.

“I appreciate the assistance and I will be more than happy to follow up on your alibi. But, as it stands, you are still a suspect and again, not a member of law enforcement. I can’t be dragging you along with me, it wouldn’t be right.”

“You’re not dragging me, I’m just following you.”

“I can arrest you.”

“I can get out of handcuffs with ease. It’s actually quite central to my act.”

Hux sighed. Shaking this man wouldn’t be easy. “I work alone.”

“I gather by choice?”

“Yes.”

“Everyone else’s I take it?” Kylo joked. Hux rolled his eyes and reached for the handle but was stopped by Kylo’s hand. “Come now, you could use a hand.”

“I certainly do not but I have a spare finger for you,” he replied cheekily.

“Oh, I like you. I like you a lot. Come, we can grab a bite to eat while we’re out.” Kylo threw the door open stepping out into the hall. “inspector?”

With another sigh and shake of the head, Hux exited the lavish suite and joined the magician in the hallway. “You’re going to get me fired.”

“I could always use and extra hand on tour.”

 

The first stop for the newly formed partnership was the office of top surgeon Dr. Charles Radcliffe, surgeon to the crème de la crème of London. Getting passed the secretary was nearly an impossible task but Kylo Ren’s charms proved useful much to the chagrin of Hux. Dr. Radcliffe was on the younger side but still older than Hux, with tired eyes and skin that hadn’t seen the sun in quite some time. He was also severe looking and slightly menacing behind his large oak desk, the look he laid upon the boys conveyed no warmth whatsoever. It was something Hux was used to, he was usually an inconvenience to people during his investigations, Ren on the other hand seemed to be a bit put out by the lack of welcome committee. 

“I do apologize for the inconvenience,” Hux began. “I am Inspector Armitage Hux and this is my partner Kylo Ren. If I may, I have a few questions for you regarding a case I am working on.”

Dr. Radcliffe didn’t rise from his chair to greet them but he did give a less than enthusiastic wave toward two empty seats across from him. “A magician is a strange choice of partner inspector,” he remarked suspiciously.

“His expertise are pertinent to the case.”

“And this is about the slaughtered prostitutes yes?”

Hux stiffened. While accurate, the surgeon’s words were on the harsh side. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Interesting, exactly what expertise does young Mr. Ren possess that would be useful in the investigation of murdered whores?” Dr. Radcliffe mused.

Ren bristled at Hux’s side but he calmed him with a simple hand on the knee. “I assure you, it would surprise you to learn the wealth of knowledge this man possesses.”

“I’m sure.”

“I was hoping to get your professional opinion on the murders sir. Some incite.”

“Go on then.”

“It seemed the victims were mutilated in a surgical way.” Hux pulled a couple of crime photos from a file he had brought with him. Ren gave them a quick glance, looking away almost immediately. Dr. Radcliffe however snatched them up for a close look. 

“Are you suggesting it was the work of one of my colleagues?”

“The evidence points to the perpetrator attending medical school,” Hux answered.

“Would a butcher not have the same skill?”

“Not this clean, surely you must realize that? Are you not the top surgeon in London?” Hux was baiting him and Ren was impressed.

Dr. Radcliffe gruffly pushed the photos back at the young inspector. “Seems your killer used a scalpel. I’m sure your medical examiner already identified what was missing, I could only guess with these pictures. If you’re wondering if I have any inkling as to who’s handiwork this is, the answer is no. While the incisions are clean, seems there’s a bit of a jump here, and here on the other victim,” he explained pointing to the photos. “If it had only been on the one, I would say that perhaps he had been startled or interrupted, which could still be the case but, more than likely he has a bad hand. Nerve damage perhaps or a trembling.”

“I see.”

“If that will be all, good day to you both.”

Hux and Kylo both stood, to leave but Kylo stopped when he noticed a photograph hanging behind the doctor’s desk. “Interesting picture,” he said indicating the photo. “What is it?”

Dr. Radcliffe smiled. “Ah, that, it’s a photograph of a human heart. Removed during an autopsy, purely scientific of course.”

“Did you take the photo?”

“No. It was a gift actually.”

“You wouldn’t recall from who would you?”

“A colleague, Dr. Snoke. He’s no longer practicing but he does teach at the medical college. If memory serves, it was a student who took the picture for him.”

“Thank you. You’ve been most helpful,” Hux replied ushering Ren toward the door.

 

The more than audible growling of Hux’s stomach took the duo to a little restaurant not far from the odious Dr. Radcliffe’s office. It was a place the inspector had never been, partly because he didn’t eat out much but mostly because of its flamboyant reputation. It was exactly the place Kylo Ren frequented though and since the showman was hellbent on paying for lunch, Hux could not offer an objection. They were given a table in the back, away from the other patrons at Ren’s request and left to their conversation after they ordered. 

“That man is an ass,” Ren huffed sipping the white wine the waiter had delivered immediately after they had been seated. 

Hux was not one to throw names but he also couldn’t deny that Dr. Radcliffe was not a personable man. “Indeed. All the same, he did provide us with some new insight.”

“You don’t think he’s a suspect then?”

“Unfortunately, no. Although I’d love to nail him with something just to take him down a level.”

“Inspector,” Ren smirked. “I find I like you more and more.”

“What’s not to like?”

“So, what is our next move then?”

“As you stated, a surgeon would certainly have the spare coin for pricey flash powder and we know of a surgeon that has a connection with a photographer.”

“We’re paying Dr. Snoke a visit then?”

“Couldn’t hurt.”

The waiter came around with their food and all talk of the case ceased without either of them having to ask for it. Instead, Ren shifted the conversation to a more personal direction. “Was your father in law enforcement?”

“No, certainly not,” Hux replied with a snort. “I’m sure he considered the profession beneath him.”

“Oh?”

“He was a man of wealth. Born to a wealthy family. Old money. Very old.”

“Are you telling me you’re loaded?” Ren laughed.

“Yes and no. My guardian, his wife, she has all the money.”

“The plot thickens.”

“He had an affair with my mother, his wife found humor in keeping us around.”

“It isn’t polite of me to inquire, I’m sorry.”

“Nothing about you is really polite, now is it?” Hux teased.

Ren smiled a lopsided grin. “You already know me so well. What made you want to solve crimes then?”

“My father murdered my mother. I guess it stuck with me.”

“Again, I apologize. Perhaps a change of subject?”

“What’s your story then?” Hux asked genuinely curious.

“Just a simple boy born in New York to simple people. My father owned a little deli and my mother was a home maker.”

“And how does a simple boy from simple people become the world’s greatest magician?”

“He starts with simple card tricks, learned from his father who while simple, was also a rather talented cheat. He then takes his tricks to the street where he learns from not so simple people better tricks, tricks that involve a little more finesse like say, lifting a wallet from someone’s pocket. I’m not proud by the way, don’t go getting the wrong idea. But those tricks lead to run ins with fine policemen not unlike yourself. They taught me, inadvertently mind you, the art of escape. From there it was all trial and error. I’d perform on the street for pennies, even peanuts, until some of the showmen from Coney Island took an interest. A lot of this was luck, right people at the right time,” he explained nonchalantly, as if it was a story everyone could tell.

Hux was entranced. While his own upbringing had been tragic, Kylo Ren’s life had been, for lack of a better word, magical. “Another question, Kylo Ren…” he began trying to find the right wording.

“A stage name. Ben Solo sounded so mundane.”

Hux nodded. “I see. I have one more question.”

“Go ahead.”

“What made you want to solve crimes?” he questioned.

Ren gave that same crooked grin and leaned forward, hand on the table close enough to Hux’s that their fingers were brushing against one another. “An intriguing red head inspector of course.” The magician’s hand fully covered the other man’s now and he didn’t move to pull it away.

 

Getting a meeting with Dr. Snoke was much easier than trying to have a word with Dr. Radcliffe. When they arrived at his office, his secretary informed them that the doctor was in class but would be in right after, they were more than welcome to wait, and so they did. It wasn’t even an hour before the Snoke showed up, a smile on his wrinkled face and a warm, yet lax, handshake for them both, a complete 180 from the previous doctor they had spoken to. It should have put Armitage at ease, and yet he found the hairs on the back of his neck at attention and a prickling sensation working its way down his spine. He did his best to push the feeling aside but remained alert.

“Forgive us Dr. Snoke for barging in on you like this, but I was hoping to get a professional opinion on a case we’re working on,” Hux said taking along with Ren in the chairs opposite of Snoke.  
“It’s no intrusion at all gentlemen. I’d be glad to spare whatever knowledge I can.”

Hux laid the crime scene photos on the desk facing the older man. “The current theory is that our killer is a surgeon, or was, perhaps even a medical student.”

“These cuts are too sure, too cocky. This is the work of a well-practiced man. Someone who has been in the game for some time. It’s hard to tell form these photographs but, I do believe that while he removed an organ from each victim, he didn’t seem to cause any damage to the surrounding area. While a medical student could in theory be this clean, in a dark alley trying to move quickly, well, surely, they would be a bit messier,” Dr. Snoke explained.

“Are you a photographer doctor?” Ren asked gesturing toward a photograph, similar to the one they had seen in Dr. Radcliffe’s office, on his desk. 

“Me? Oh no. That was taken by a student. I had a similar one made, it was a gift to a colleague actually,” Snoke answered. “Are you interested in photography? I could pass along the student’s name.”

“It would be much appreciated, thank you.”

With a grandfatherly smile, the doctor scribbled out a name and contact information on a spare sheet of paper. Ren’s eyes carefully watching him all the while. “He’s rather talented and thankfully not squeamish,” Snoke said with a wink.

“Thank you again doctor for agreeing to sit down with us. You’ve been an immense help,” Hux said.

“Feel free to call again.”

“We just might.”

 

“He didn’t mention the fumble in the incision,” Hux remarked looking over his shoulder. They had walked a good few blocks from the university, the inspector casting glances back here and there trying to shake the feeling of being followed.

“He also didn’t draw attention to the tremor in his hand,” Ren added.

“Tremor?”

Ren nodded. “I noticed it when he wrote down that information for me. Nothing overt, if you weren’t directly watching you probably wouldn’t notice it at all.”

“I feel slightly put out. I should be the one looking for these minor nuances,” Hux huffed.

“Don’t be. It’s all a part of my game. You can’t cheat someone without knowing their tell.”

Hux gave another glance behind them. “He isn’t our photographer however.”

“True.” Ren grabbed Hux’s hand and pulled him to the side of the walkway. “You seem distracted.”

“Distracted?” Hux looked down at their joined hands. 

“Yes. You keep looking behind you.”

“I have the strangest feeling we’re being followed.”

Ren looked around the street, although he was unsure as to what he was looking for. “Do you think our killer is watching us?”

“Perhaps.”

“Wonderful.”

“You shouldn’t be involved in this,” Hux sighed pulling his hand free from the other man. “This killer is ruthless, dangerous, and twisted. I wouldn’t put it past him to eliminate either one of us. I wouldn’t want you caught in the crossfire.”

“Well, if that is the case its too late. He’s already aware I’m involved.”

“It isn’t at all. You should go home.”

Ren shook his head. “And leave you to have all the fun? Not a chance.”

“Kylo, please.”

“Please what?”

“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I won’t. I have you to keep me safe.”

Hux laughed as he looked the much more muscular man over. “I don’t think I could do a damn thing to keep you safe. You clearly are the much more impressive man.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree.” Hux started to walk again but Ren pulled him back. “Yes?” It all happened so fast, he wasn’t sure what was happening at all and it wasn’t until Ren pulled away, he had discovered he had been kissed. It was short, soft, and by all accounts modest, but also romantic and like the man himself, magical. 

Without another word, Ren pulled Hux back out onto the street, mingling into the foot traffic. Both blissfully unaware of the prying eyes that had been watching the entire scene unfold from the dark alley across the street.

 

“Doctor Snoke a photographer? Can’t say that I’ve seen him show any interest other than having me take some pictures for him,” William Bolte, student and amateur photographer, said scratching his head. The investigative pair had stopped by his home on a lark and as luck would have it, he was home.

“So, he has never asked to borrow any of your equipment?” Hux inquired.

“No.”

“Or ever asked you any questions regarding the trade?”

“Again, can’t say that he has.” William twitched a little, just a small tick in the corner of his mouth but it didn’t escape Ren’s notice. 

“Could I trouble you for a glass of water?” Ren asked.

“Oh, of course!” William jumped up immediately to retrieve the refreshment leaving Ren and Hux alone.

“He’s hiding something,” Hux whispered.

“Indeed.” Kylo absently flipped open the book that sat on the table before them, a medical book filled with anatomical drawings and medical jargon that went right over Ren’s head. Another flick of the page revealed something else of interest however, a smudge of flash powder. He brought the book to his nose and gave it a sniff. “Sulphur.”

William reentered the room and Kylo placed the book back on the table. “Sorry to make you wait.”

“No trouble at all,” Ren assured him, charming smile perfectly in place. 

Hux took in the room for the first time since they had arrived. William Bolte was not a man of money, he lived with his parents and they weren’t exactly well off either. He seemed to be going to university on a work scholarship, mostly working for Dr. Snoke. The photography equipment he used was from his father as he had explained earlier. He doubted the boy could afford the flash powder found in the book and at the crime scene…but Snoke surely could.

“Thank you for your time,” Hux said jumping up rather suddenly. “I’m afraid we have another appointment and we can’t afford to be late.” 

“An officer’s duty is never done,” William joked.

“Not when a case is still unsolved. Good day to you William.”

They left quickly, Hux pulling Ren along looking for a private spot to have a brief conversation. After a few blocks, and making sure they weren’t being followed, Hux found an empty narrow alley. 

“I like where your head is, but might I suggest my suite?” Ren asked with a wink.

“All in do time. For now, lets focus on the task at hand. “I don’t think our killer works alone,” Hux explained with a hint of excitement. 

“What are you thinking?”

“He has an eager to please financially crippled student to assist him.”

“William.”

“Exactly.”

“And you think Dr. Snoke is the killer.”

“It’s the current theory, yes.”

“It’s a good theory.”

“A good theory about a well-respected man with no tangible evidence,” Hux muttered.

“Let’s get evidence then.”

“We can’t go into his office and pick pocket his things.”

“You can’t, but I- “

“No, you cannot.”

Ren pouted. “Then what’s our next move?”

“Sleep. It’s getting late and I don’t know about you but, I have been awake far too long.”

“So, will that be your place or mine?”

Hux shook his head. “You’re incorrigible.”

“I’m quite a lot of things. Phenomenal in bed has been tossed around a few times.”

“I’m sure.” Hux couldn’t deny he wanted to do a first-hand investigation of this theory but at the same time, he was hesitant. He had never been one to rush into anything and this certainly felt a little too fast for his liking. Not to mention the love them and leave them reputation Kylo Ren carried with him. 

Ren leaned in and captured the inspector’s lips with his own. Unlike their first entanglement, this one was a little more forceful, a little more sure, and a little more passionate. Hux responded in kind, arms encircling the taller man’s neck as Kylo’s hands found their way to his hips. After what felt like an eternity but had only been seconds, they broke apart in a flutter of smaller kisses broken up by quick breaths. 

“Let me take you home,” Ren breathed into Hux’s ear. “It doesn’t have to be anything untoward, we can simply crawl into bed together, enjoy the feeling of being in each other’s arms.”

The offer was tempting. While he had more than a couple romantic encounters, Hux had never had the pleasure of falling asleep in someone’s arms and he couldn’t imagine a better place to fall asleep than in Kylo Ren’s. All the same, he shook his head no. “I don’t think it would be a good idea at the moment.”

“Can you foresee a time when it would be a good idea?” Ren asked full of hope.

“When I solve this case.”

“Then I guess we should get some rest so we can get back at it tomorrow.”

“That would be wise.”

 

Inspector Hux did not call on Kylo Ren the next day, nor was he anywhere to be found when Ren went looking for him. His fellow officers had not seen the man that morning, his housekeeper said he had left just after sunrise, and he didn’t show up in the neighborhood around the university. Ren was fuming. After another pass around Dr. Snoke’s office building, he gave up and went back to his suite. As he stomped across the glossy foyer trying to calm his budding anger, he missed the anxious desk attendant calling frantically for him and waving an envelope in his hand. It was at the stairs the older man finally caught up with the oblivious magician. 

“Mr. Ren sir, a message for you,” the attendant wheezed. 

“Sorry, thank you.” Ren waited for the other man to leave before he opened the envelope. Inside was a small letter signed by Hux asking him to meet at the theater that night at 10. Kylo checked his watch, it was already close to 9. He turned on his heel and crossed the lobby with haste. He didn’t know what game the inspector was playing, but he was eager to end it. 

The theater was dark, not a single light illuminated the stage nor seating area and it was by sheer luck Kylo managed to find the walkway that lead to the stage without ramming into a chair. 

“Hux?” he called into the darkness. “Hux? Armitage!” He wished he had light to check his watch but he was positive it was after 10. Just as he was ready to give up and walk out, a muffled sound followed a small splash stopped him. 

The lights burst to life all at once momentarily blinding Kylo Ren but when he finally adjusted to the sudden change, the scene before him caught him completely off guard. Center stage was a tall narrow tank he used for his act, a simple escape that brought the crowd to its knees. Unfortunately, he was not currently in his tank, instead, it was Armitage Hux. His eyes were wide with fear, his mouth gagged by a simple white rag, and body bound by the straight jacket Ren used. To Ren, it was a routine so easy he could very well do it in his sleep but to someone untrained, like Hux, it was a deathtrap. Ren rushed the stage, mind only focused on freeing Hux from a watery grave but before he could get his hands on the first latch, he was yanked back off the ladder by strong hands. 

Ren yelped as he hit the floor hard, blacking out for a second as his head bounced on the wood. When his vision refocused, he was staring at the face of William Bolte. “Fuck,” he hissed rubbing the back of his head. 

“I wouldn’t move Mr. Ren,” a familiar voice called from the wings. “You might have a concussion.”

All the same, Kylo sat up. “I never was one to take a doctor’s advice.”

Dr. Snoke laughed as he appeared out of the shadows. “Stubborn boy.”

Ren got to his feet and made another attempt for the tank but again was stopped by William. “You seem like a relatively nice kid, I’d hate to hurt you.”

William only snickered and pushed Ren back.

“The jig is up Snoke, we figured out your game yesterday. You’re going to be thrown in prison.”

Again, the old man laughed. “I figured as much yesterday when I followed you two after you left. My suspicions were confirmed when William here informed me of your little discovery in his book. Then clever inspector Hux visited my office again today, trying to glean information about the possible weapon used, poor boy overplayed his hand and now here we are.”

“You won’t get away with it.”

“Won’t I?”

William pulled a gun from a holster hidden in his jacket and aimed it at Ren. “Won’t we?”

Ren glanced back at the tank, Hux’s eyes were still open but he could tell time was running out for the inspector. “So, what’s the plan? Drown the inspector and shoot me?”

“It works rather well I think. More than enough people saw you gallivanting around town yesterday, witnesses have you chasing him down today, a lover’s quarrel turned violent. Your temper has quite the reputation, it won’t take much for the police to close the case.”

Hux’s eyes were growing heavy and even Ren had to admit he himself would be finding it difficult in there. He had to think fast. His eyes scanned the stage for something of use. It didn’t take long to find the fire axe sitting off to the side. Besides coming in handy in the event there was a fire, it was also used to smash the glass tank in case things should go awry during his act. He just had to reach it. 

Flying by the seat of his pants was a typical occurrence for Kylo Ren and if it ain’t broke, why bother to fix it? Kylo didn’t really have any idea what the plan was until he was already tackling William who had been caught off guard by the brazen move. The younger man fell back, gun flying free from his hand and falling to the floor. Ren staggered back, foot reaching out to kick the pistol out into the audience area, ducking and weaving around Snoke as he did so. William crawled for the edge of the stage to retrieve the lost weapon and Snoke lunged for Kylo with an inhuman roar. Ren elbowed the old man in the gut and continued his run for the axe. 

Lifeline in hand, Ren crossed the stage one more time, swinging with all his might at the tank. The glass cracked in a spiderweb pattern on the first hit, the second shattered it completely. Water poured out onto the stage, pushing William off altogether as he tried to gracefully get down and caused Snoke to slip. Ren managed to grab Hux before he could be carried away by the current and began to frantically administer CPR to get the inspector breathing again. After a few attempts, water spurted up from Hux’s mouth as he coughed and struggled to breathe on his own. 

“I don’t think I’m cut out to be a magician,” Hux joked.

“I don’t know, you were doing pretty well there,” Ren replied with a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”

“You were a little preoccupied. Speaking of which…” 

Kylo looked up only to find the pistol pointed directly between his eyes. “Well, hello again.”

William was shaking with either rage or from being soaked in the chilled water, no matter the reason, the gun was shaking furiously in Ren’s face and he wasn’t pleased. “You son of a bit- “  
Before he could finish, Hux managed to slam a fist into the back of the boy’s knee sending him back to the floor where Hux was able to wrestle the gun free. William scrambled to regain control of the pistol but he was no match for both Ren and Hux, until he pulled a scalpel free from some hidden pocket on his person. He managed to swing back, nearly catching Ren in the eye but barely scraping his face instead. Ren stumbled back to escape the next arc leaving William to make a move on Hux, bringing the surgical knife down toward Hux’s throat but the inspector was quick and he fired off a round that landed right in the would-be killer’s heart. 

For the last time, William fell back and onto the floor, unmoving. Kylo looked around the stage for Dr. Snoke but the man was long gone. 

“We lost Snoke,” Kylo snapped angrily.

“We live to fight another day, that’s what counts now. We’ll find him,” Hux replied begging the other man over to help him to his feet.

Ren obliged and lifted the inspector with ease. “You went to his office without me.”

“I had an idea, it was a good one, poorly executed clearly.”

The anger from earlier had long since dissipated and Ren decided not to tap into the feeling again and instead focused on Hux being alive. “I told you, you would protect me,” he said with that grin of his.

“Yes, but if you recall, it was you who saved me first.”

“I guess that would make us even.”

“It would seem so.” Hux smiled, “If the offer still stands, perhaps tonight I will join you in your suite.”

“Oh? We still have a killer on the loose.”

“Yes, but I also just had a near death experience. I think I’ll indulge myself if you’ll have me.”

“The offer is always opened.” 

 

The crime scene was processed, statements were taken, and poor William Bolte was taken away by the medical examiner. At first light, inspector Hux and a small team of officers went to Dr. Snoke’s house and began a search. Sure enough, they found the missing organs from the victims as well as organs from victims they didn’t know about as well as a few photographs of the bodies. Without Snoke or William to explain themselves, the motive was still a mystery. 

Snoke was missing, on the run, possibly even making his way to another country. Scotland Yard vowed to do what they could to locate him, but Hux had his doubts. The man had the money to get where he needed to and then hide out when he got there. The only way they would track him down would be if another body popped up, something Hux couldn’t bring himself to wish for.

The case was left open and labeled “unsolved”. It would always haunt the back of Hux’s mind, gnawing at him when he let his defenses drop but Kylo made it easier to push the darker thoughts away. He did indeed spend the night with Kylo Ren that night and every night after, sometimes in Ren’s luxury suite, sometimes at Hux’s modest home. Hux didn’t know how he fell for the man in one day. He replayed it over and over in his mind when he was lying in Kylo’s strong arms and sleep hadn’t claimed him yet but he always came to the same end, it was an unsolved mystery.


	2. A-Maze-Ing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Huxloween 2017 day 2 prompt-corn maze. Disinterested in picking pumpkins, Kylo leads Hux through the corn maze to find a more...adult...activity.

Huxloween #2-Corn Maze

 

The chilled October breeze had Kylo Ren hugging himself on the old wood bench. He watched his cousin Rey and her two friends, Finn and Poe, romp through the selection of pumpkins for sale and sipped his hot apple cider. He usually enjoyed their yearly visits to the small pumpkin patch, a mom and pop run farm a good half hour outside the city, but today he just wasn’t in the Halloween spirit. He picked straw off the knee of his black ripped skinny jeans and grimaced at the dirt on his boots. The sky was overcast and just the right temperature to toss on a sweater and remain warm, until the wind picked up of course. It was a truly Autumn day and those were his favorites.

Kylo took another sip of his hot beverage, barely noticing the man who quietly approached and took the empty seat next to him. With a sidelong glance, he took the newcomer in. He looked to be the same age as Kylo, perhaps a year or two older, dressed impeccably in clean cut dark blue jeans, maroon sweater, and amber colored scarf that flattered his copper hair and pale freckled skin. In one hand he held a cup that smelled of cider but something else, cinnamon perhaps, and his phone in the other. If he registered Kylo next to him, he didn’t acknowledge it, instead scrolling along quirking an eyebrow every so often at whatever was on his phone screen. 

“Spoil sport!” a tall woman with cropped blonde hair called over to them.

Clearly, she was talking to the ginger man for he responded by raising the hand holding the phone and giving her the finger. She merely laughed and then wandered off with the group she had been standing with. Kylo chuckled a little. This caught the stranger’s attention and he finally broke away from his phone to give Kylo a once over.

“Hello,” he greeted politely. 

“Hi. That you’re girlfriend?” Kylo asked with amusement still showing on his face.

“Gods no. Just my annoying friend.”

“I know how you feel.” Kylo pointed to over where his own small group was, Poe currently trying to lift a pumpkin the size of Rey. 

“Ragtag bunch.”

“You have no idea.”

“I’m Hux by the way.”

“Kylo.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Hux reached into his back pocket and pulled out a medium sized black flask and held it out to Kylo. “Care to freshen your drink?”

“What is it?” Kylo asked taking the flask and giving the contents a sniff.

“Nothing too exciting, just Fireball. I like it in my cider.”

Kylo poured a shot’s worth into his cup and passed the flack back. He could hear his mother’s voice nagging at him about accepting food or drink from strangers but, with another look at Hux’s handsome face, he pushed her warnings aside and decided he’d crawl into a windowless van if the red head asked. 

Hux smiled and slipped the alcohol back into his jeans. “Are you not a fan of pumpkin picking?”

“I am, I just wasn’t in the spirit today.”

“Perhaps the Fireball will help.”

“Thank you by the way, for the drink.”

“I always come prepared.”

“Are you not a family fun activity kind of guy?” Kylo asked.

Hux shrugged. “Depends on the company I suppose.”

“Feel like a corn maze?” Kylo pointed off to the other side of the field where a hand painted sign was hung on a wooden arch reading “Corn Maze”. 

“I’ve never done one. Seems nefarious.”

“Nefarious?”

“Yes, strange man lures me away from my friends where no one can see, the next day they find my body hung like a scarecrow.”

“You’re the one who probably slipped me something when you offered me a drink,” Kylo teased back.

“Yes, but it doesn’t seem to be working.” 

Kylo gracefully rose from the bench and offered Hux a hand. “It’ll be fun.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you’ll have good company.”

Hux resigned to taking Kylo’s offered hand and allowed the dark-haired man to hold it as they walked into the corn maze. 

“We should probably take a glance at the map,” Kylo said nodding toward the laminated board at the entrance. 

“Now where would the fun in that be?”

“If you say so.”

They continued deeper into the maze, hands still entwined, neither making a move to disentangle themselves. Using their free hands, they sipped their drinks until their cups were empty and then they passed the flask back and forth. The wind gave another hearty gust sending Hux into a fit of shivers, and Kylo pulled him into his side to wrap an arm around him. 

“I think we’re a bit lost,” Hux stated nonchalantly after a half hour had gone by. 

Kylo stopped walking and pulled Hux into his chest when the other man tried to walk on. “Perhaps we should take a moment to get our bearing,” he breathed suggestively.

Hux grinned back taking another sip of the whiskey. “Is that the alcohol talking?”

“Certainly not the roofie you slipped in there,” Kylo joked.

Hux was the first one to make a move, mouth possessively claiming stake of Kylo’s, his hands digging into the other’s hips, while his own hips ground forward. Kylo’s tongue slipped into Hux’s mouth looking to dominate the other but relented when he realized letting the other man take the lead was rather enjoyable. Lips were nibbled, ginger hair mussed as large hands wound their way through it, breaks for breath few and far between as they relished in their passionate display. Eventually, kissing and grinding lost their edge and more contact was needed by both parties. Hux tossed his own scarf aside, hands quickly descending upon Kylo to help him rid himself of the black sweater which was then discarded carelessly as well. Hux had to take a moment and a small step back to really get a good look at the well-toned muscled chest and flat eight pack abs. 

“Absolutely beautiful,” he moaned letting his lips be devoured by Kylo this time. 

When they broke apart, Kylo merely shrugged and then trailed his way down Hux’s neck with small flicks of his tongue, reveling in the taste Reaching the edge of the maroon sweater, he moved the soft material to the side and gave the prominent collar bone a slight nip eliciting an audible gasp from Hux. While his mouth sucked the sting away, his hand slithered featherlight down the length of Hux’s chest and waist until it reached its destination, the growing bulge in Hux’s jeans. 

The read head groaned in approval and ground his erection into Kylo’s greedy hand. They continued that way for a time until Kylo couldn’t take the teasing anymore and dropped to his knees, fingers diving for the zipper of Hux’s jeans to free his sought-after prize. 

“Kylo,” Hux hissed when the younger man’s fingers wrapped firmly around his exposed dick. The friction from Kylo’s ministrations kept the chill at bay until he took him into his mouth entirely. Hux had to admit he was impressed, while not overly large, he was rather endowed man and Kylo managed to slide his lips down to nearly his base. Kylo’s tongue danced elegantly along Hux’s length, his mouth pulling pack only to wrap around him again and suck him off. Hux buried his hand in Kylo’s hair to keep himself anchored, feeling his knees already going weak and his release coming sooner than he would like but Kylo was a rather skilled partner. 

That all too familiar feeling in his gut was building, and Hux tightened his hold on Kylo who sensed what was up and looked up to watch the display of pleasure on Hux’s expressive face. Hux’s free hand dug into Kylo’s shoulder as his budding release edged closer, closer, and closer still until…

“Kylo!” Rey’s high-pitched voice cut through the silent field, sounding as though she was just a turn behind them.

Immediately the pair broke apart, scrambling to regain their composure and clothing, muttering a variety of swears along the way.

“There you are. I’ve been calling for you,” she laughed approaching the guilty looking boys. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is H-Hux,” Kylo stammered. “This is my cousin Rey.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hux replied shakily trying to smooth his hair down. 

“You two ok?” she asked looking between the two suspiciously.

“Just uh, got a bit lost,” Kylo lied.

“The exit’s two turns away, just up there.”

“Great! Shall we then?” Hux said leading the way with Kylo quickly falling in step at his side.

Rey brought up the rear, watching them for any indication what really happened and when their hands brushed against one another, pinkies hooking momentarily, she put two and two together. “I’ll let you two say your goodbyes,” she told them with a wink and a knowing smile before walking over to where Finn and Poe were waiting, arms loaded with pumpkins. 

Kylo sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck while his eyes remained focused on the ground. “So…”

“Are you free tonight? I have a not so family friendly activity I’d like the right company for,” Hux offered.

Kylo grinned from ear to ear, this day had certainly turned around.


	3. The Possession of Ben Solo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween day 3 prompt-possession/exorcism. Father Armitage Hux, wavering in his faith, agrees to help senior priest Father Luke on his quest to save the soul of Ben Solo but will Hux lose his in the process?

Huxloween #3-Possession/Exorcism

 

It had happened so slowly, so gradually, that neither Han nor Leia Solo had noticed the change in their son until it had reached a high that could not be ignored. At the time, they had sworn the change in Ben’s personality had been overnight. Their perfect son when he went to bed, only to rise in the morning as a new unnamed monster. Looking back now, they could see the signs they had ignored or that had slipped by undetected. Their first stop was a medical professional that specialized in brain trauma. When he found nothing amiss in Ben’s scans, he recommended a highly trained psychiatrist with a long-seated history in personality disorders. The initial diagnosis had been a shock, the doctor claiming that Ben had created another personality, something usually done when the host had experienced some sort of trauma. Han, nor Leia, had any inkling as to what trauma Ben had ever experienced but they decided to go along with the treatment anyway. 

Ben didn’t show any signs of improvement, instead he seemed to be getting worse, falling further down into the murky depths of whatever had laid claim to him. Leia, a woman not to be trifled with, refused to back down or give in and at the suggestion of an old family friend whom her son had been named for, she sought out her last resort. 

This was how Father Luke came to be sitting on her couch in the living room, on this gloomy October day. The rain pelted the windows with a fury that matched her own and she felt the atmosphere only too fitting for the task at hand. Leia didn’t think she believed in God and the Devil, her husband certainly didn’t, and the idea of her son being possessed was laughable truly, especially when she had researched it online and found that most people to come under attack from the dark lord were devout believers who never waivered from their faith, some however did once possessed, and they were the ones who didn’t survive. Nonetheless, she invited the priest over to give his opinion on Ben because if it wasn’t medical, and it wasn’t mental, then perhaps it was some form of spiritual problem and while it was beyond her, she also knew there were many things on this Earth that she could not explain. 

For his part, Father Luke had listened intently, offering no advice or words of wisdom to the bereaved parents. His face remained unmoved and blank as he took in everything they said, forming no real opinion until they had finished and he had all the information at his disposal. When Han and Leia had exhausted themselves retelling the ordeal, he finally spoke.

“I am very sorry for your situation,” Father Luke said evenly. “Can I see the boy?”

Leia looked to her husband who only shrugged and shook his head. “Of course, Father, he’s bedroom is on the second floor.”

“Do you have him confined there?”

“No,” Leia answered a little more harshly than she had intended. She winced at the sound of her own voice know it was exhaustion wearing her down, not any sort of animosity toward the priest. “He just prefers to remain up there,” she finished more gently. 

“Lead the way.”

Ben’s room was the last door on the left on the second floor. Before Father Luke even stepped off the top stair, he could feel the oppressing cold descend upon him. He desperately clutched the banister to catch his breath, doubling over to fight off the wave of dizziness that overcame him. A reassuring hand from Leia on his back made him look behind him to face her. 

A sad knowing smile graced her face. “I know.”

“How long has this presence been here?” he asked still trying to get his breathing under control.

“After we called you we noticed something off. The air in the whole house seemed thicker, heavy almost. Its not always this violent feeling up here, usually when he is in a mood it becomes like this,” Leia explained steeling her own nerves to finish climbing the stairs. 

Luke allowed her to pass him, taking one more moment to get himself together before he continued his pilgrimage. While Leia seemed to walk with more ease, Luke still struggled. Han never left the first floor. Luke understood, even though he had no children of his own, just how hard it could be to watch your son suffer. He knew Leia would be his beacon of strength when it came to the fight ahead. 

Leia paused at her son’s closed door, hand resting on the ornate knob. “Father, we’re not looking for attention or people who jump to extremes. If we hear hooves on the ground we think horses, not zebras.”

“I understand Mrs. Solo,” he assured her.

“Please, whatever it is, help my son.”

“I will do everything I can.”

The door to Ben’s room slowly creaked open and Father Luke could honestly say, he was not prepared for what was on the other side.

 

“You didn’t see what I did! You weren’t there!” Father Luke yelled slamming his fist down onto the mahogany desk sending papers flying everywhere and coffee to splash out of its full mug. 

The older priest who sat on the other side grimaced trying to save his work from the brown hot liquid that was spreading over the expensive wood. “Do try to control yourself,” he warned.

“Forgive me but you don’t seem to be listening to what I’m telling you.”

“I am, I heard everything you have said but it doesn’t change the fact that not only are the Solos not Catholic, but they aren’t religious by any stretch of the imagination, and their son is not baptized.”

“Father Windu please- “

The dark-skinned man held up a hand to silence the other priest. “Only the Vatican can sanction what you are trying to do.”

“By the time they respond it could be too late,” Luke sighed deflating in his seat.

“My hands are tied.”

“Your hands are tied by bureaucracy, we are men of the cloth.”

“Without rules and laws, what good would we be? Even our faith has rules our heavenly father has bestowed upon us,” Windu explained.

Luke rose from his seat and waved off the argument. “I’d rather ask God himself for forgiveness than wait for someone’s permission.”

“If you choose to act on your own, you could face serious ramifications.”

“That will be my cross to bear.” Luke left the senior priest’s office without waiting for further word or excusal. He took a moment in the hallway to regain himself, his anger still simmering just at the surface. 

He hadn’t noticed the young priest sitting on the chair opposite him until the man offered a quiet greeting, “Good afternoon Father Luke.”

Luke wasn’t even sure the boy had truly spoken, his eyes were cast down to the marble floor, hands folded as if he were in prayer but the older priest sensed he wasn’t. “Hello Armitage,” he replied kindly feeling the frustration from his conversation with his superior finally lessen. “You might want to let Father Windu cool off. I’m afraid I’ve riled him up.”

Armitage gave him a small smile. “Seems you have a way with that.”

“Is that my reputation?”

“Among my colleagues? Yes.”

“And what is your opinion?”

“That you are a good man loathe to be led blindly.”

Luke smiled. “Bit of a catch-22 isn’t it? We ask our flock to put their faith in the lord and let him lead them. Blind faith. Yet I cannot help but question everything.”

“Do you not have faith in God?”

“Him I have faith in. It’s those he speaks through I question.”

Armitage nodded absently. 

“What has you sent to the principal’s office today?” Luke joked taking the empty chair next to the young man. 

“Seems I am following in your footsteps.”

“Oh?”

“I have been questioning my superiors and I suppose in a way, God himself. I am not quite sure my place is here. That perhaps I was meant for more,” Armitage explained.

Luke contemplated this information, an idea brewing in the forefront of his mind. “Have you eaten?”

“Not since breakfast. Why?”

“I hate to dine alone in public. Let’s go grab a bite.”

“And what of Father Windu? He is expecting me.”

Luke shrugged. “He’s already pissed off, why make your own day worse?” 

 

Armitage Hux had been raised by a single mother, father abandoning them the moment she revealed her pregnancy. They hadn’t been married and rumor had it, he had a wife in another town. His mother never married, doting all her time and energy on him and he never minded growing up without a father. Unlike his compatriots in the church, Armitage never felt a pull to serve God, instead choosing his profession out of hope he could be of help to people. More often than not, he felt useless and trapped behind the red tape of the Vatican. Offering a prayer to someone in need seemed like a slap in the face to them when there were real tangible things he could do. 

When Father Luke offered a chance to do something real over lunch, Armitage was all ears. When he revealed that task was an exorcism, the young priest nearly left. 

“I just told you my belief in God was shaken at best and you expect me to believe in demons? Have you gone senile?” Hux snorted.

“I mean, it’s always a possibility,” Luke chuckled. 

“An exorcism? That is so archaic. This boy needs a psychologist not priests tossing holy water on his face and chanting.”

“Normally I would agree and fully intended on telling the Solos that myself until I listened to them. Ben has seen doctors, psychiatrists, and they’ve all said the same thing, it’s something beyond their expertise. Medication, therapy, none of it had any effect on the boy.”

“Perhaps a change of medica- “

“I saw him. Felt what was in that house. It isn’t a stronger prescription Ben Solo needs, it’s something else entirely.”

Armitage eyed the older man suspiciously. He couldn’t wrap his head around any of this nonsense. “This is crazy.”

“How about you come meet the boy. See for yourself. If you still think I’m some old crackpot then by all means, take it up with Father Windu.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “What could it hurt?”

 

Father Luke had been calling Ben Solo a boy giving Armitage the impression they were dealing with a child, which was not the case. While younger than the junior priest, Ben was still of age to be considered an adult. He was a tall man, with long muscular limbs, broad chest and shoulders, and long shaggy black hair that was currently hanging in his face like a curtain, slightly masking a cut that crossed over his right eye and continued down his face. Luke had told him the gash had been gifted to him recently by the entity inside him. He had a motely of other cuts and abrasions on his torso and legs as well. His skin was sallow with bruise colored circles under his eyes, giving the impression of a skull more than a face but Hux could tell, the man was handsome. 

Ben’s eyes watched the two men from the moment they entered the room, a sinister smile on his broad lips. He seemed intrigued by the young priest, his gaze mostly focused on him, licking his lips when they would make eye contact. 

“Hello again Father,” Ben said in a dark tone that matched his demeanor. He was lounging on the bed, propped up by pillows with the covers pulled just low enough that you could tell he wasn’t wearing a stich of clothing, but still had his bits covered. 

Hux tried his best to keep his eyes on Ben’s face but he couldn’t help but let them wander down the length of his body, resting on the hard lines that formed a ‘v’ near his nether region. He envied the younger man’s body, all hard muscle and strength where as his own was thin yet toned. He didn’t bother to chide himself for his jealous thoughts, mostly because they were chased away by ones of lust. And if Armitage didn’t know any better, he would swear that Ben could read those thoughts as if they were written plainly on his face.

“Hello Ben,” Luke greeted removing his coat.

Ben winced at his name and rolled his head away to look up at the ceiling, eliciting an annoyed growl in the process.

“Forgive me, I forgot you no longer liked your name,” the Father apologized, not necessarily meaning it. Hux suspected the old man liked to poke the bear as it were. “He prefers Kylo Ren,” he added addressing Hux now. 

“I like it,” Hux replied trying to keep his voice even and void of emotion, less it betray his sinful thoughts. 

Ben…Kylo rewarded him with an easy smile that sent an electric pulse right down Hux’s spine. 

“I have forgotten myself again, where are my manners, this is Father Armitage Hux,” Luke introduced his partner.

“Armitage,” Kylo repeated making the name sound like a curse and the sweetest poem all at once. 

Hux couldn’t tell if it was the man in question or the icy atmosphere of the room giving him chills. He’d never reacted this way toward anyone and he couldn’t understand why it was happening now. At least logically he couldn’t, the fantastical part of his brain was already buying into the possession theory. Although, something told him Ben Solo had been walking sin before he got tangled up with whatever entity lay inside him now. 

“I’m going to let Father Armitage speak with you awhile today,” Luke announced pushing his assistant forward a little. “I’ll be just outside.” He left quickly, allowing no room for protest. 

The younger priest felt uneasy with being left alone in a room with Kylo and yet the idea thrilled him. He tried again to push those thoughts aside, to file them away for further inspection when he wasn’t under scrutiny by the cause of them. 

“Nervous?” Kylo asked stalking Hux with his eyes as he wandered about the room.

“Should I be?”

“I won’t harm you.”

“Well then, I suppose I’m not nervous.”

“Are you only worried about bodily harm?”

“Are you proposing you could harm me spiritually?”

Kylo shrugged. “Seems I’ve already tainted your soul.”

“How so?”

A wild string of unknown language that sounded like cashmere slipped from Kylo’s lips, invading Hux’s ears and weaving their way into his mind. He had never heard the language before and couldn’t begin to fathom a guess for English equivalent but, their intention wasn’t lost on his. They conjured images of unbridled passion and lust in his mind, feeding a fire that had never grown inside him until this day. 

“I can feel them, see them, your wicked thoughts. Such imagination from a priest. I’m pleasantly surprised.”

Hux blushed and tried to give his attention to the street below outside the window. “Kylo Ren, is that who you are now or who has taken over Ben’s body?”

“Spoil sport,” Kylo sighed. “What makes you think I’m possessed?”

“I don’t know if I believe that you are. That’s what I’m here to figure out.”

“Father Luke believes I am.”

“He does.”

“Why are you so unsure?”

“I guess I’m having a crisis of faith,” Hux answered honestly.

A wicked grin crossed the younger man’s face. “I can prove it to you.”

“A second ago it sounded like you didn’t want me to believe you’re possessed.”

“It isn’t possession per say. It’s something else.”

“Like what?”

“I can’t explain it. I can feel him, in my mind but he doesn’t control me. He’s guiding me, freeing me.”

“Why the name change?”

“It is the name he gave me.”

“Who is this person that has freed you?”

“In due time,” Kylo sighed stretching in a way that made his sheets fall dangerously lower if that was even possible, causing Hux to blush and turn away again. “You don’t have to hide it, I know what you’re thinking. I know every little dirty thought.”

“Are you trying to bait me?”

“I don’t have to. You, little fish, are willingly jumping right into my net.”

“You think so?”

“I am simply sitting here, you’re the one fantasizing about riding me,” Kylo stated.

Hux tried to keep his face a blank slate. While true, the thought of riding Kylo…Ben…whatever until the world came down around them was what had been dancing through his mind, it wasn’t exactly an imaginative fantasy. It was a safe guess. “Is this how you plan to convince me of your power? Tempt me and then tell me my dark desires?”

Kylo looked bored but all the same, he gave a flick of the wrist all the same, and the window burst open.

“Interesting parlor trick.”

But Ren wasn’t done. It was like a tornado had been unleashed in the room, papers and small objects whirling above their head, a dresser slid in front of the door blocking Hux’s escape if he needed it. Kylo stood before him now, and indeed he was sans clothing but with the ruckus around them Armitage barely noticed. 

“It isn’t just your fantasies I can see. I can see you. I know you. Your father abandoned you, choosing his other family. You pushed the hurt aside but you always longed to be chosen, to belong. But you never were chosen by anyone were you? Not your classmates, not your colleagues, not even God called to you. Father Luke has taken advantage of your situation. He didn’t seek you out, you were conveniently there. Snoke chose me. He chose me to carry his power and I would choose you to shoulder this responsibility with me. Armitage, you were not born for them, you were made for me.”

“Why would you choose me?” Hux whispered.

Kylo tenderly stroked the other man’s cheek shaking his head softly. “I could feel your power the moment you walked through the door. Reading your thoughts was like drowning and yet I didn’t wish for air. The wheels of your mind never cease. This isn’t a crisis of faith, you are simply above their way of thinking. God holds nothing for you, that’s why you can’t feel him. You are a god in your own right.”

Pounding and yelling erupted on the other side of the door. Hux knew he should make an effort to move the wooden barrier out of the way but he was rooted to the spot.

“I choose you Armitage,” Kylo pushed bringing his attention back to him. 

The roaring of the wind stopped suddenly, the window snapped closed, and the dresser was once again in its proper place. Hux whirled about, questioning his own sanity when he found Kylo Ren back in his bed, as if he had been there the whole time. Luke burst through the door, seemingly as confused as Hux. 

“I think it is time we begin,” said Father Luke. 

Hux couldn’t ague. He couldn’t say anything really. His mind was working faster than ever and yet it couldn’t make heads or tails of this whole situation, nor could he hang onto a single thought. He understood now what Ren had meant when he said he felt as if he were drowning in Hux’s mind. It was like a typhoon had descended upon him and the life preserve in this tumultuous sea of thought was Kylo’s voice telling him, “I choose you Armitage.”

Father Luke had begun the ritual, thrusting a second bible into the shaking hands of his young assistant. Kylo looked amused and unconcerned. Of course, according to him, this was no demon inside of him. Snoke, he called it. Not a name Hux recognized. The room once again erupted into chaos however, objects careening around above them and dangerously close to the old man, the window banging open and closed. 

The words Luke spoke were a blur and sounded miles away. He kept looking to Hux for support but, he couldn’t bring himself to give the proper responses. Hux couldn’t even open his bible. God had not called to him. Kylo Ren was calling to him now. Hux could even feel the presence of the one Kylo called Snoke in the room. He’d never felt the presence of God. 

“I choose you,” Hux breathed. It was barely a whisper yet he knew Kylo heard him. 

Luke began to gasp for air, his words becoming a choked sob as he clawed at his throat creating long angry scratches where his nails had been. Hux didn’t understand what was happening, he just knew that the priest’s face was turning red and Kylo Ren sat up straight, arm outstretched and fingers curling as if he were grabbing something. It didn’t take long for Father Luke to fall to the floor, no longer fighting to breathe. Hux knelt down to look for a pulse and found none, which he knew he wouldn’t.


	4. Antisocial Party Goers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Huxloween prompt day 6-bonfire party. Hux hates parties and people but Kylo isn't ready to give in.

Huxloween #6-Bonfire Party

 

Hux hated parties. He also hated the outdoors. So, when Phasma claimed she was dragging him to a bonfire party he nearly tucked and rolled out of the car. He sat away from the large burning pile of wood, disliking the smell, smoke, and bevy of drunken dancing morons. Phasma had given a good effort to get him into the spirit and when that failed, she sat with him and chatted until Hux’s guilt sent her away to socialize. 

A boy dropped ungracefully down onto the ground next to him, looking up through an unruly mop of black hair to smile. “Further down than I anticipated,” he said by way of ice breaker.

“Alcohol will do that to you,” Hux replied unamused, looking down on the newcomer from the log he managed to snag.

“I actually haven’t had a drink yet.” He held up a full unlabeled bottle as his proof.

“Congratulations.”

“Want to share?”

“I don’t know you.”

“Kylo, Kylo Ren.” He held a hand out waiting for Hux to shake it.

“Not what I mean,” Hux replied turning away from the offered appendage.

“You’re a charmer.”

“I prefer to be alone.”

“Good thing you came to a party then.”

Hux sighed. “It wasn’t really my choice.”

“I kind of got coerced into coming too.” Kylo pointed to a trio standing by the fire. “Not that I don’t appreciate a good party.”

“What makes it a good party?”

“Good company. Other than my friends, these aren’t my kind of people.”

“What are your kind of people?” Hux asked curious now.

“The kind you can hold a conversation with. A real conversation.”

“Art, literature, music and the like?”

“Or the world, ourselves, dreams, aspirations, metaphysical, paranormal, anything and everything.”

“Hux.”

“Pardon?”

“My name, it’s Hux.”

“Is that a first or a last name?” Kylo asked leaning closer.

“It’s a name for now.”

“Fair enough. Want a drink yet?” Again, he offered up the bottle of mystery alcohol.

“What is it?” Hux questioned, more inclined to take the offer.

“Apple cider and salted caramel vodka. I can’t drink cheap beer like those heathens.”

“And how do I know this isn’t some ploy to drug me?” It was more of a joke than a serious inquiry but all the same, Kylo unscrewed the cap and took a generous swig. 

“There, even if I did mess with it, I’ll surely be unconscious before you.”

“And if you’ve built up a tolerance?”

“Sounds like a lot of work for a night with a stranger.”

“Perhaps you’d keep me for a week,” Hux offered.

“You seem finicky. I’m sure I couldn’t properly take care of you.”

Hux had to laugh at that. 

“You smile? Amazing. I thought your face was frozen in that pert little frown of yours.”

The laughter died off and Hux looked indignant. “I wasn’t frowning.”

“Resting bitch face then?”

“Give me the damned bottle.” Hux snatched the bottle from Kylo and took an experimental sip. Deciding it didn’t taste all that bad, he downed a shot’s worth.

“Decided you want to go home with me after all? Quick, before the drugs knock you out, what do you like to eat? I don’t want to play a guessing game later.”

“Shut up.” Hux took another drink.

“You look like a grilled cheese kinda guy.”

Hux pushed the bottle back into Kylo’s hand. “You don’t know how to shut up do you?”

“Afraid not.”

“Wonderful.”

“What happened to your friend? The one who brought you here against your will.”

“I sent her off. She’s probably on the other side of the fire,” Hux answered.

“Girlfriend?”

“Certainly not.”

“Got a girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Boyfriend?” Kylo chuckled wiggling his eyebrows.

“Single on all sides and before you comment, I’m not looking to change that.”

“At least I’m not barking up the wrong tree.”

“Not at all.”

“You’ll warm up to me.”

“Because everyone else does?” Hux guessed.

“No, the roofie remember.”

Hux laughed again. “Clever.”

“I have my moments.”

“So, why are you not chatting with your friends?”

“I already know them. I can speak to them at any time. The point of a party is to socialize with people you don’t regularly see.”

“I thought the point was to get blackout drunk and have a regrettable one-night stand while you puke your guts out,” Hux mused.

“Well, I mean, that’s a choice I guess. Not my particular brand of a good time but I don’t judge.”

“Why come over here where the people aren’t if you were looking to socialize?”

“As I said, these aren’t really my people, so, I gathered I would find my kind of people if I went where the others aren’t and look, here you are.”

“I’m not your kind of people.”

“I think you are.”

“I’m no one’s kind of people. I’m a hermit.”

“Well you have at least one friend. Says someone out there likes you.”

“I think it’s more of a pity thing.”

“You’re more likeable than you think.”

“How would you know?” Hux asked. “You don’t even know me.”

“I like what I know so far.”

“And what do you know so far?”

Kylo stretched out, leaning back on his elbows and crossing his legs at his ankles. “I know you don’t tolerate nonsense- “

“I’m tolerating you.”

“and you’re cute. I also can tell you’re intelligent.”

“Cute,” Hux huffed. 

“Yeah, cute. Fucking hot if you’d prefer.”

“Sure you weren’t drinking before you sat down?”

“I was watching you. The moment you arrived you caught my eye. I didn’t want to bother you when you were with your friend so I hung back, watching, listening a little. You impressed me.”

“Should I be honored?”

“No. Just telling you the truth.”

“And why should I care about impressing you?”

“Never said you should.”

“I find you interesting,” Hux admitted. 

“Not attractive?” Kylo teased.

“You obviously know you are.”

“It’s nice to hear.”

Hux rolled his eyes but all the same told him, “You’re very attractive.”

“But you aren’t looking for anyone right?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Relationships are messy,” Hux answered plainly.

“They are. Messy, brutal, painful. Make you question your own sanity and sense of self.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s beautiful.”

Hux scoffed.

“You just haven’t met the right person yet.”

“And you have?”

“Not really no. I’ve come close though. I think I get a little closer each time. You’re shivering,” Kylo pointed out when he noticed a shudder wrack Hux’s body. “Want my jacket? Or we could get closer to the fire.”

“I’ll take the jacket.”

Kylo quickly took off his black leather jacket, rose to his knees, and moved behind Hux so he could help the other man into it. “Looks good on you.”

“It’s rather big.”

“I still think it looks good.” Kylo ran his hands up and down Hux’s arms trying to get some warmth flowing through him. 

Hux scooted over to allow room for Kylo to share his log. “Thank you, for the jacket, but won’t you get cold?”

“Nah, I’ll just move closer to you.”

Hux did exactly that, he moved closer to Kylo allowing his new friend to drape and arm around him. The night continued on in a myriad of conversations, over a shared bottle of booze. The party began to dwindle as the fire died down but they didn’t care. It wasn’t until their friends came to tear them apart did they even remember anyone else had been there. 

“Here,” Hux said thrusting a slip of paper at Kylo.

“What’s this?”

“My phone number, if you feel inclined to call.”

“I’ll call.”

“Armitage. Armitage Hux. My full name.”

Kylo laid a kiss on Hux’s cheek. “I like it.”

Hux tried to fight off the grin threatening to take over his face but he couldn’t. “Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

Phasma was waiting by the car when Hux finally disentangled himself from Kylo’s embrace. Before he could utter a word to her, his phone began to ring. The number was unknown so he answered with a tentative, “Hello.”

“Hey Armitage, it’s Kylo.”


	5. Trick-r-Treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 7-trick/treat. Brendol Hux has no interest in letting his son run around the neighborhood on Halloween, instead he has the boy passing out candy to all his classmates but Ben Solo has a treat for Hux.

Huxloween #7-Trick or Treat

 

“Trick or treat!” It was a song echoing through the neighborhood from a chorus of children. Doorbell, “trick or treat”, and the sound of a variety of treats being tossed into pillowcases and buckets. Armitage Hux watched from the bay window of his rather large home, longing to join in with the other children. His father had forbidden the activity saying the boy had no need for candy, nor did he have any friends with run around with and he’d be damned if he was taking the kid out into the damp night air. Armitage tried to accept this, tried not to argue, but as his classmates droned on and on about costumes, parties, candy they had received last year, and the tricks they had played on neighbors unwilling to provide sugary sweets, he grew bolder and dared to ask his father to just the once, let him go out with the other kids. He said he could make his costume from clothes he already had, stay on their own street so there would be no need to chaperone, and come back before it became too dark. His father’s idea had been to hand the boy a bowl of candy to hand out when the doorbell rang so he wouldn’t be disturbed. 

It was the very definition of adding insult to injury. Not only would he be further alienated from his classmates but, he would be forced to answer the door and watch them all having fun. Armitage sighed, seeing a group of kids coming up the driveway. He wanted to just leave the candy dish on the doorstep but he knew better. If his father found out he’d be in for a whooping. He mournfully passed a small candy bar to each of the children who eyed him curiously in return and closed the door quickly, stealing a small candy bar for himself, careful to make sure his father wouldn’t walk out of his office and catch his son in the act. 

Back at the window, Armitage continued his vigil. He recognized a group from his class across the street and quickly crawled over to light switch to turn off the porch light. After a few minutes, he dragged himself back to the couch to peep out the window again to make sure they had passed by. With the coast clear, he turned the light on again and waited for the next group of kids. Tears prickled his eyes but he managed to blink them away, taking another candy bar to drown his sorrow in. The doorbell chimed again. The boy sighed and trudged over to the door, snatching the candy bowl as he went.

“Trick or treat!” a little girl screeched, eyes screwed shut tightly and face pink from the breeze. She was younger than him, dressed like a witch in a purple dress covered with pumpkins stuffed with tulle, a black pointed hat rested on top of her head, tilted slightly. Every inch of her was covered in glitter and in one hand she held a little broom and the other a pillowcase nearly the size of herself. 

Armitage forced a smile, handing over the candy. 

“Why aren’t you trick or treating?” came the voice of a boy Armitage hadn’t seen. He was standing slightly behind the girl, a hand on her shoulder keeping her still, the other holding onto his own bag. 

“I’m not allowed,” he answered trying to look anywhere but the kids in front of him.

“Oh.”

“I like your costume.”

“I’m Darth Vader,” the boy said proudly, lowering a mask down onto his face for a moment. 

Armitage didn’t know what Darth Vader was, his father never let him watch anything that wasn’t appealing to the older Hux, and he guessed Darth Vader was someone from a movie he hadn’t been allowed to see. “It’s cool,” he muttered.

“My name’s Ben.”

“Armitage.” He cringed when he said it, most of his classmates made fun of him for his strange name. 

“Cool.”

Armitage smiled, trying not to blush. “Thanks.”

“Ben! Rey!” a woman called from the street waving them down.

“That’s my mom. Goodnight Armitage.”

“Bye.” 

Ben walked away, dragging Rey by her wrist, Armitage watching after them sadly as they trotted over to a trio of adults who ooed and ahhed over their respective hauls. 

Armitage wondered, and not for the first time, what it would be like to have parents like that. A mother and father who were invested in their child instead of seeing them as a burden. Brendol Hux had never taken Armitage trick or treating, never fussed over projects at open houses, Christmas was a silent affair without Santa Claus where the boy was usually gifted something practical, and homemade Father’s Day gifts he would make at school would find their way into the trash after a tepid display of interest. Armitage envied the other children so much he would often cry himself to sleep. He knew wishing would change nothing but, he held onto a secret fantasy where the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio would come to his window and turn his father into a real dad, he was convinced Brendol was made of wood inside. 

The night trailed on, agonizingly slow, but eventually the trick or treaters did dwindle until fifteen minutes went by without the doorbell ringing. Armitage plopped down onto the couch, once again fighting the urge to cry. A knock on the door stopped him from getting too lost in his misery. 

Curious, yet apprehensive, he shuffled over to the door, cracking it first to see who was there before opening it. Ben, the boy in the Darth Vader costume stood awkwardly on the dark porch, looking over his shoulder back at the street.

“Yes?” Armitage asked opening the door enough the other boy could see him. 

“Remember me? I was here earlier.”

“Yeah, I remember.” He opened the door all the way now.

Ben smiled, holding out a pillowcase to him. 

“Um…”

“You’re supposed to say trick or treat,” Ben said.

“What?”

“Trick or treat, and then I give you a treat.”

“Trick or treat,” Armitage repeated still unsure what was happening.

Ben thrust the rather full bag into Armitage’s hands. “Here ya go.”

“I can’t take your candy.”

“You’re not, I had an extra bag and doubled my load.”

“But, why?” No one had ever done a nice thing for him and he kept waiting for the inevitable trick. But Ben only smiled and shrugged. “Th…th…thank you.”

Ben leaned in, closing the gap between them, and placed a chaste kiss on Armitage’s cheek. “Happy Halloween Armitage.”


	6. October Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Huxloween day 8-fall snuggles. Very short and sweet.

Huxloween #8-Fall Snuggles

 

The sky was gray and overcast, wind blowing fire colored leaves every which way. Kylo sat on the window bench with a window cracked just enough he could enjoy the crisp Autumn air. A pumpkin scented candle, something Hux had deemed necessary for the season, burned on the shelf of the book case behind him and a cup of coffee (although Hux would argue that the sugared up milked down concoction Kylo preferred could not really be called coffee) was placed on the small side table next to him. It was a perfect day. Kylo lived for October days and nights. 

Hux padded into the room and over to where Kylo was seated. He sipped his own cup of coffee (black, the way it should be) and then proceeded to crawl onto the window bench, coming to rest between Kylo’s legs, his back resting against the taller man’s chest. 

The breeze carried the scent of rain and the thought of a possible fall thunderstorm excited Kylo even more. While not afraid of thunder per say, every rumble still made Hux jump a little and there was nothing Kylo loved more than to wrap his arms around the man he loved, keeping him safe, calming him. His arms came around the red-haired man now, pulling his impossibly closer. Hux gave a content sigh and allowed himself to be wrapped in love.


	7. Ghost of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 9-ghost hunters. First dates are always strange, especially when your date takes you to a haunted hospital.

Huxloween #9-Ghost Hunters

 

Breaking into an abandoned sanitarium was not exactly Hux’s idea of a romantic first date. Or a date at all, first, romantic, or otherwise. Don’t be mistaken, the macabre had always held some fascination for him, the story of Count Carl von Cosel was a tale of woe and romance that he constantly found himself reading over and over again, but that was much different than holding hands in a rundown castle for the diseased and dying looking for ghosts. At least, that’s what he assumed they were doing there with a night vision camera. The only other idea being they were going to make one weird ass porn and Hux was not about that life. He should have known their courtship would be off, their first meeting at the bonfire not exactly what one would call traditional, but this was a little off kilter. 

“They don’t make buildings like this anymore,” Kylo said, awed by the magnificent domed ceilings. “Far too beautiful for the ugliness that transpired here.”

Hux nodded, taking in the sight as well. Strange as this was, the hospital itself was beautiful. Probably a sight to behold back in its glory days, or even in the daylight. “We’re not going to drop through the floor boards or something are we?”

“No, it’s perfectly sound except the attic. We’ll stay out of there. Although, rumor has it the attic is stuffed with belongings from the patients still. Be interesting to see what they got up there.”

“You know, most people go for dinner and movie or coffee on a first date.”

“We discussed at our first meeting we’re not most people,” Kylo countered with a smile. “Trust me, you’ll like it here.”

“I can’t help but wonder if this has all been a clever ruse to murder me and make a snuff film.”  
Kylo turned the camera on Hux. “That roofie kick in yet? It’s so much easier when the victim is unconscious,” he joked.

“Now that you mention it,” he replied feigning wooziness. 

They continued down the hallway, which was littered with abandoned hospital beds, wheelchairs, and a variety of other equipment Hux could recognize but had forgotten then name of. It felt like a horror movie, the good kind with a real budget that raked in the money opening weekend. He chuckled at the thought and let his hand intertwine with Kylo’s, who squeezed gently back. 

“Scared?” Kylo asked.

“Not yet. The second something goes bump though, I’ll be in those muscular arms of yours.”

“My plan all along.”

“Ah see, now this all makes sense.”

The sanitarium was deathly silent, seemed even the mice and rats had left the place. Not even a bird could be heard outside, no bats fluttered through the night. It was eerie and peaceful all at once. Hux wasn’t unnerved by it, being in Kylo’s company made him feel protected, the younger man explaining he had been here before. Their footsteps echoed louder than they should, every pebble they kicked almost deafening in the silence. 

Kylo panned the camera around the darkened halls, pausing here and there to examine something Hux couldn’t see in the inky blackness. “Know anything about this place?” Kylo asked breaking up the boots scuffs with his voice.

“No. I’m not really from around here. I imagine there’s some tragic paranormal lore that comes with it?”

“Sort of,” Kylo chuckled. “It was built a long time ago, to be a regular hospital. It wasn’t this grand originally or as big but then a rich businessman bought it. He expanded it, turning one of the wings into a mental ward of sorts, for the rich elite who needed a rest. Nothing serious, no abuse or mistreatment. It was quite the place to be back then, lots of famous socialites stayed here but then the tuberculosis epidemic started. The rich were shuffled out to make way for the tuberculosis patients and somehow, probably by lack of knowledge about how the disease is spread, it made its way into the main hospital. The whole place became a refuge for infectious disease.”

“That’s rather tragic.”

“It gets worse. The rich businessman, Anakin was his name, he had a wife he loved more than anything, Padme. Well, she became infected as well. He gave her a private suite and began to really revamp this place. He wanted her to be in a place of luxury, perhaps knowing she would die here. He spent every day with her, spared no expense on every treatment possible. It was of no use of course. She ended up dying, after giving birth to twins. By some crazy miracle they survived.”

“How sad,” Hux whispered, bringing himself closer to Kylo.

“It does get worse. Anakin, in his grief, killed himself not even a month later.”

“Let me guess, he killed himself here.”

Kylo nodded. “Come here.” He pulled Hux into one of the open rooms, an office by the looks of it. Pointing to a collection of old newspaper clippings on the wall he said, “See, the head doctor clipped an article about it.”

Hux leaned in to read the article in question and sure enough, it back up Kylo’s story. “How on Earth did this paper manage to survive this long?”

“That is one of the great mysteries. A lot of stuff is still here that shouldn’t be.”

“So, what happens after the owner kills himself?”

“They carried on for quite a time, he willed everything he owned to the hospital. Eventually of course, tuberculosis stopped being such an issue and it went back to a regular hospital. The ghost stories started even before Anakin killed himself but really got going after he died. People weren’t keen on getting medical treatment with spirits hanging around I guess, so it closed down.”

“No one thought to tear it down?”

“It was still quite an architectural marvel so they kept it up hoping someone would buy it but the reputation kept them at bay. After a while, the historical society took it over until the cost to keep it pristine became too much. I guess now they are just waiting for the Earth to reclaim it.”

“Is it still for sale?”

“Looking to buy?”

“Be a nice little love nest,” Hux quipped. 

“Settle down, raise a family.”

Hux nodded. “Adopt 100 kids and they’d all still have their own room and then some.”

“Come on, we haven’t gotten to our destination.” Kylo lead Hux out of the office and back into the hallway, walking a little quicker now but still at a more leisurely pace. 

“Catch anything on your camera?”

“Not yet. Seems the spirits are shy tonight.”

“Must be me, I always chase the party off.”

“Good, I get you all to myself.” Kylo stopped walking, pulling Hux into his embrace. “I know it’s still early but, I’d like to kiss you.”

“Such a gentleman, asking for permission.”

Kylo bent down to place a chaste kiss on Hux’s lips. Deciding he needed more, Hux took the lead, wrapping his arms around Kylos’s neck to pull him in closer, tongue sliding along his lip until Kylo allowed him entrance. They carried on, growing more enraptured with one another until air became scarce and they were forced to break apart to breathe. 

“Probably be too much to find a bed huh?” Kylo joked.

“Kiss me like that again and it might be a necessity.”

“I think I’d prefer a better lit location for our first time.”

“Should’ve brought candles.” 

They continued their quest again, Kylo assuring him they were almost to the spot he had in mind. The wind started to pick up outside, blowing a chilled October breeze in through the broken windows and making it seem as if the very hospital itself was singing a mournful song. And perhaps it was. Saddened by its loss of beauty and grandeur like an old diva past her prime. They came to a stop in front of a closed door, the plaque outside offering no information, words worn off from time and age. The only clue to the room’s contents was a dingy white 5 hanging on the door and the faint outline of a 0 and 1.

“Alright, this is it.”

“Should I say my goodbyes now?” Hux laughed.

“No. I don’t want to build it up in case this turns out to be anticlimactic but, this should be quite the sight.” Kylo opened the door a crack, enough so that only he could see at first. Satisfied with what was on the other side, he opened it further and stepped inside, pulling Hux with him.

The sight was indeed a strange and wonderful thing. Before them was a hospital bed, occupied by the faint white-blue visage of a woman. She was sitting up, propped up by pillows, dressed in the what was probably the finest fashion of the 1800’s, hair piled up onto her head in a halo of curls. Her outstretched hand was resting in the spectral ones of a man, dressed in a suit from the same era, a look of pure adoration etched onto his face.

“What?” Hux breathed in awe.

“Meet Padme and Anakin. They’re here, probably all the time but visible most nights. Usually when the moon is closer to full,” Kylo explained, wrapping an arm around Hux to bring him closer while filming with his other hand. 

“It’s a trick.”

“Feel free to look around.”

Hux did. Extracting himself from the taller man’s embrace, he searched the room from projectors, holes in the walls that the scene could be shined through, anything off really. But he found nothing. Curious now, he slowly approached them, cautiously reaching out and letting his fingers skim Anakin’s back. No image shown on his hand and the air he touched was ice cold. It didn’t seem to faze either specter either. “Do they know we’re here?” 

Kylo shrugged. “I don’t know. They certainly don’t talk with us.”

“It’s so sad.”

“Is it? They’re together, forever. Nothing and no one can come between them. Death tried to separate them but fate gave them eternity. I think it’s romantic.”

“So, you do plan to kill me?”

Laughing, Kylo shook his head no. “I’d rather have life with you first but, when the time comes, I think I will be wanting an eternity with you too.”

“It’s only our first date,” Hux pointed out.

“Yes, but, I can tell, you’re a special one Armitage.”


	8. It's In The Cards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Huxloween prompt day 11-fortune telling/runes/tarot. Slight sequel to the Magic in Mayhem chapter, Kylo Ren manages to convince Inspector Hux to see a psychic.

Huxloween #11-Fortune Telling/Runes/Tarot

 

Inspector Armitage Hux was a man of science and logic, which was what set him apart from many of his colleagues who still believed in myths and superstitions. So, it was quite the hot gossip when he began to be seen publicly with one Kylo Ren, magician extraordinaire. Kylo Ren had toured the world stunning audiences and suspending reality preforming amazing feats of escape and magic. Of course, those surprised had no idea how magic was really done, to them it was all real, a man there one minute and truly vanished the next. But, Hux had an investigative mind and learned many of the tricks of the trade long before he encountered Kylo. That isn’t to say that Kylo Ren wasn’t full of magic. Quite the contrary, he was supernatural in and of himself. He seemed untouched by the world, full of mirth and wonder, and some of that enchantment was rubbing off on the inspector. 

Currently, Armitage was sitting in an aisle seat of the Royal Theater, watching with rapt attention with everyone else as Kylo Ren, suspended upside down and bound in every which way imaginable, as he tried to escape a watery grave. The glass cabinet had been rebuilt and reintroduced into his act after the madman Snoke had locked Hux into it, forcing Kylo to break the thing open. The memory haunted Hux’s nightmares from time to time, usually on nights Kylo wasn’t around. He had expressed his disdain for the contraption but Kylo made the argument it was a trick his was most known for and that it was perfectly safe when used properly. Armitage checked the pocket watch Kylo had given him, a gift to assuage his fears. He could watch the time and know when Kylo was approaching dangerous territory being under. At this moment, he was still in the clear. 

The seconds ticked by, slower than they should have but Hux knew it was his imagination. Kylo was still under. Anxiety started to knot up his stomach and sweat bubbled up at his brow even though chills were wracking his body. Every hair on his body stood on end and he knew a panic attack was eminent. Flashbacks from that night clouded his mind and he could no longer see the stage or the watch in his hand. Hux wanted to get up and leave but he was afraid his body wouldn’t comply, instead he gripped the arms of the seat to keep from lurching forward. He could see the old man’s face, leering through the water as his vision began to darken, water filling his nose and flooding his throat.

An audible gasp flowed through the crowd snapping his attention back to the stage, memory fading into nothingness. A curtain had been placed over the tank as stage hands ran this way and that, voices low but rushed and tense. Panic gripped Armitage again, his body going rigid, nails digging into the arm rest of the seat so hard he knew he’d leave tears in the crimson fabric. One of the more muscular men who worked for the show came running out on stage, axe in hand. Hux could vaguely remember Kylo going for the same axe to smash the glass for him. He wanted to rush the stage but knew he would be of little to no use, if his legs would even carry him so far. The man reared the axe back, the curtain was lifted, and…Kylo Ren was gone. 

Again, the crowd gasped, this time in surprise rather than horror. Hux was on the edge of his seat now, panic giving way to confusion and shock. He didn’t notice the water droplets raining down on his left side until a chilled hand came to rest on his shoulder, water soaking his new suit. Armitage’s head shot up wildly, the haunting thoughts of Snoke returning once more but the man wasn’t there. Instead, Kylo Ren, soaking wet, still clad partially in his straightjacket, with his long black damp hair pushed back from his face, was standing there smiling at him. That infuriating half grin that wreaked of smugness and charm. Armitage wanted to hit him. To jump up and punch him right in the mouth.

“Enjoying yourself?” Kylo asked, amused by the look of fury on the red-haired man’s face. 

The audience erupted into a roar of applause, the spotlight finding Kylo standing there in the aisle. He flourished into a bow, waving and thanking the audience for being so generous. Hux continued his visual assault, letting his glare follow Ren as he returned to the stage. Kylo took his final bows and thanked everyone again for the patronage. The curtain dropped on the stage and the theater was flooded with light. The crowd began to file out while Armitage sat there seething still. Kylo came out a few minutes later, still wet but properly dressed now. He crouched down next to Hux’s seat, his hand rebuffed when he went to reach for the other man’s. 

“You changed the trick,” Hux growled.

“I made it a bit more interesting. I’ve been in London for a while, I need to keep it fresh or else they’ll get bored,” Kylo explained.

“You didn’t tell me.”

“No, I didn’t. I guess I thought you would figure it out. You’re so clever.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Hux hissed jumping up now and pushing past Kylo to leave the theater.

Kylo followed, trying to gently grab Armitage’s arm to keep him from leaving. “Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad.”

“Really? Because you seem angry.”

“I’m just…I….you scared me. I was terrified that you were going to die. That thing…I hate that damned thing!” Hux yelled. “Every time you go in it all I can think about is that night and I sit here fighting the memories of almost being killed and trying to push aside the thoughts of it claiming you.”

“Would it be better if you stopped coming to my performances then?”

“No,” Hux sighed. “The I would just be worried at home. It seems torturing myself with knowing is better than wondering.”

Kylo pulled Armitage into his arms, rubbing small soothing circles into his back. “I’m sorry.”

“It is your fault.”

Kylo chuckled. “Fair. Let’s go. I hear it’s a nice night, how about a walk?”

“You’re wet.”

“So?”

“You’ll catch cold.”

“The you can nurse me back to health.”

“I do have a job you know.”

“Which you don’t need seeing as how I’m rich enough to take care of both of us,” Kylo pointed out.

“I like my job.”

“Fine. Can we go for a walk?”

“Fine,” Hux relented. “A short one and you have to have a cup of tea when we get home.”

“Fine.”

The night was chilly, not overly cold, but enough that Armitage had to pull his coat around him a little tighter. Kylo seemed unaffected, as he usually was. The hustle and bustle of the London street was extremely diminished when the sun went down. Now, only a few people passed them by and even less stood on the corner or edge of the street. All the vendors had closed up shop for the day. It was peaceful. Sometimes, Armitage found the city to be claustrophobic and crushing but Kylo reveled in it. He loved brushing up against people on the sidewalks, being recognized, carrying on conversations with strangers. Hux liked to be left alone. 

“I’ve never noticed that shop before,” Kylo said breaking the companionable silence.

“What shop?”

Kylo pointed across the street to a little store sandwiched between two other building. The window had a simple sign in the window that read “Psychic”, and another telling the world they were open. “Want to have your fortune told?”

Armitage laughed. “Psychic? Don’t be absurd. That’s just a con artist with a different set of cards than that one down there,” he replied indicating the man on the corner playing a game of 3 card Monty. “You of all people should know better.”

“I met a psychic in Prague who was spot on. Not all of them are frauds.”

“You cannot be serious.”

“I’m going.” Kylo darted across the street without waiting for confirmation Hux would follow, but the inspector did all the same. 

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Perhaps.”

They walked through the door, a little bell above them signaling their arrival. A short, very short, Asian woman came waddling out from behind the back. She wore large thick glasses that made her eyes seem like saucers and her gray hair was pulled back into a severe bun. The multicolor patchwork dress she wore pooled around her and trailed behind, clearly a bit too long for her height. The wrinkles on her face spoke of her age but the way she eyed them made her seem years younger. 

“Hello Kylo Ren,” she greeted, her accent strangely elongating the words.

“See, she knows who I am. She’s good.”

“Your picture is hanging on almost every corner with your name under it and I’ve seen your show,” she replied quickly.

Hux stifled a bark of laughter. “I like her.”

“I am Maz,” she told them. “You are here for a reading?”

“Yes, my friend and I were interested in having our fortunes told,” Kylo answered.

“Your friend,” she eyed Hux, “your lover.”

Kylo wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Armitage. “She knows we’re lovers.”

“Not much of a secret with those bruises on his neck. I tell fortunes with cards, I’m not a mind reader. Come, let’s get to it.”

Hux was laughing again which made Kylo roll his eyes. They followed the old woman through the curtain to the back room where a simple table was set up with a stack of long cards. Kylo took the seat directly across from Maz and Hux the one next to him. The inspector took in the room, looking for anything untoward or shifty but everything seemed to be normal. He decided he’d keep his wits about him none the less. 

Maz, perched upon a couple of pillows on her chair, began to shuffle the deck. “Nervous?” she asked Armitage.

“Suspicious.”

“Good.” She cut the deck and placed both halves in front of Kylo. “I’m guessing you want to go first. Choose one from each deck.”

Kylo did as he was told and she shuffled the remaining cards again and repeated the process much the same way until he had pulled 8 cards. She arranged the cards into a cross pattern with three of the cards along the side. 

Maz nodded her head, finger tapping each of the cards as she considered them. “Very interesting.”

“That good huh?”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t recommend letting go of this one. He’s the anchor keeping you from disaster. You will continue to do well in your line of work, no surprise to you I’m sure but there is darkness on the horizon it seems. See this,” she tapped a card sporting the grim reaper and the word death in black. 

“I’m going to die?”

“We all do boy, but that’s not what the card means. It means renewal, rebirth, but it’s coming after a time of unrest and this one tells me it’s someone from your past bringing trouble. Like I said, keep this one.” She pointed softly at Hux.

“How ominous,” Armitage commented trying not to sound as sarcastic as he meant it.

“Alright, are you ready?” 

“Absolutely not.”

“You have to!” Kylo argued. “We need all the information we can get.”

“This is all rubbish, with all due respect.”

“Yeah, a lot of respect there.”

“I don’t believe in this.”

Maz cut the deck and placed both halves in front of him. “If you don’t believe, then there is no harm. Pick one from each.”

Knowing he wouldn’t win, Armitage did as he was told and it didn’t take long before the cross pattern was set out in front of him. 

“You think he is the strength but it’s you who is stronger. He has the muscle but it’s your spirit that will keep him alive. This man who is coming, he nearly had you both last time. You’ve wounded his pride and he’ll be looking to break yours. Keep to each other. I see calm after the storm but it will seem as if there is no end.”

Snoke danced at the edges of Hux’s mind. They never found him. Not a single sighting since the night he nearly killed them. There was no other possibility as to what the evil who the evil she was referring to was. The story had been printed in the papers and Armitage tried to convince himself that was where she got her information from. But something about those cards and the way they were laid, he could almost see the story there as well. 

A mask of indifference covered the inspector’s face and rose from the chair dropping a variety of coins onto the table. “Thank you for the warning but now it’s getting late. Kylo.”

Kylo got up as well and handed his payment to the woman. “Thank you so much.”

“Be careful boys and come back again,” she replied sweeping her money into a small coin purse.

The pair left the store and didn’t talk until they had put some distance between them and the psychic. 

“He’s coming back,” Kylo said.

“She read the paper. Everyone knows the story. If he even sets foot in London he will be caught. There is nothing revolutionary in what she told us, merely lucky guesses.”

“And what she said about us?”

Armitage shrugged. “Most couples are better together. It’s obvious you are the pillar of physical strength, it would only stand to reason that I be the mentally sound one.”

“You really don’t believe any of it?”

“There is nothing to believe. She is simply keen at observation and managed to string together some things she noticed. Not very different than what I do during an investigation.”

Kylo deflated a little. “You’re probably right.”

“I usually am. Now, let’s get you home and warm you up. Perhaps we can convince room service to bring up a slice of that decadent chocolate cake you’re so fond of.”

This perked Kylo right back up and he laced his fingers through Armitage’s, walking a little quicker now that there was a possibility of sweets. 

While Armitage had done a good job convincing Kylo there was nothing to Maz’s words, something inside him still had doubts. He cast a subtle glance over his shoulder to the shadows. There was nothing to be seen but the hairs on his neck still stood on end. As they rounded the corner, he could had sworn he saw someone wave from the darkness.


	9. The Arkanis Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 12-cryptids. Is there really a demon in Arkanis woods? Phasma is keen to find out and drags Hux along against his will.

Huxloween #12-Cryptids

 

“This is so fucking stupid,” Hux complained stepping over a log and nearly tripping over who the hell knew what else.

Phasma shushed him, panning the camera across the forest seen. “You’ll scare it away.”

“I’m not going to scare shit away because there is nothing out here. I don’t even hear birds.”

“It’s night time.”

“Whatever.”

“Look, we’re just going to poke around the old house and we’ll be out. Ok?” 

“Arkanis Devil. Load of bullshit.” Hux blew the smoke of his cigarette out into the October air, watching it swirl into the breeze by the moonlight. 

“It’s fun.”

“It’s stupid. A woman in the 1700’s gives birth to a demon and somehow it has survived until now?” Hux mocked. “Does he room with the wookiee?”

“Wookiees live in Kashyk Oregon. Everyone knows that.”

Hux rolled his eyes and took another hit off his cigarette. “I can’t believe we’re friends.”

“No one else wanted to be your friend.”

“I hate this town.”

“The feeling might be mutual. Did you hear that?” she asked stopping mid step and holding out her arm to keep Hux still.

“What?”

“Sounded like rustling.”

“Gee, the sound of leaves rustling in the forest. How suspicious!”

“Come on, we’re almost there.”

“It’s probably other morons out here searching for this stupid thing,” Hux went on. “Or a serial killer madman out for blood. How far are we from Camp Crystal Lake? Ch ch ch ah ah ah.”

“I can see the house!” Phasma said pointing into the distance.

“I don’t see shit.”

“Its on the camera, come on.”

Going to the Devil House, as it has oh so cleverly been dubbed, was almost like a rite of passage in Arkanis. Groups of kids would go out in the middle of the night and drink, smoke, whatever else, inside the remnants of the one room cabin which had belonged to Leia and her husband Han Solo. Legend went that Leia and Han couldn’t have children and growing desperate, they made a deal with a dark entity. After 13 hours in labor, she gave birth to a demon that flew out of the house and into the woods. The story had first been recorded back in the late 1700’s and since then, sightings, grainy photos and videos, and stories had been passed around. Hux didn’t believe any of it and he wasn’t sure Phasma did either, she just loved the thrill of the chase. She’d been out into the woods a number of times, camera in one hand and probably a beer in the other. She never captured anything on the camera and really had no story to bring back. Hux, on the other hand, had always ducked her offers to go out into the woods. Usually claiming his shoes cost too much to be wrecked by the Arkanis Devil. Tonight, she showed up with a beat-up pair of boots and her camera, no excuses to be heard. 

The cabin was indeed tiny, all four stone walls still standing but the inside long ago beginning to erode away. The historical preservation society did their best with their meager budget, and some wanted the legend to cease and figured letting the house go would accomplish that. Graffiti sprawled out like vines across the walls, most of it indecipherable, and what could be read was nothing of literary genius. Hux turned his nose up at all of it, letting Phasma continue her video project. 

Hux lit up another cigarette and wandered around the house. A breeze danced through the trees giving the atmosphere and eerie edge. He appreciated the effect even if he wasn’t interested in the activity at hand. Something in the distance caught his eye, something shiny. He walked toward it, thinking that perhaps it was a deer in the clearing. Tree branches above him began to creak and shake but, when he looked up there was nothing to be seen. “Squirrel,” he muttered carrying on, pulling out his cell phone now to light the way ahead. Last thing he needed was to stumble into a hole or trip over a branch and break his neck. 

The clearing was vacant, whatever had been there was wandered off. Hux looked around none the less, hoping to catch a glimpse of some sort of wildlife. Anything to make the night more interesting. A rather aggressive rustling from above and behind him made him turn around. “Hello?” Hux called thinking that it had almost sounded like someone was in the trees. 

When no answer came, Hux crossed the clearing back to the side he came from, heading back to the cabin to rendezvous with Phasma. He crossed the tree line, stopping when a thud from behind echoed around him. Slowly, apprehensively, Hux turned around.

Hux was stunned by what was standing there. Standing a good head above him, was something man-shaped, yet not a man at all. It was white as the moon with black eyes, no irises or whites to be seen, and a prominent nose. Large spiraled horns stuck out from its mop of black shaggy hair which had been matted by the elements, and large white wings adorned its back. It stood fully erect despite its legs being bent back like a goat on its hind legs. It didn’t wear a stitch of clothing but in the dark, Hux couldn’t really make out anything below the waist (not that he was trying to of course). 

“Hello, I’m Kylo,” it said in a kind yet deep voice.

Hux dropped his phone and began to run through the trees, pure adrenaline keeping him from landing face down on the ground. Phasma was standing at the edge of the cabin property, video camera trained on the trees above. Hux grabbed her arm as he passed, dragging her after him as he ran.

“What the hell?” she cried, feet stumbling to catch up.

“Just run!” he yelled back.

The sound of something heavy in the trees above had him running faster, causing Phasma to pick up the pace as well. They reached the edge of the forest and miraculously made it to where the car was parked. 

“Drive!” Hux demanded.

Confused but flight or fight instincts overruling her, Phasma complied and they sped off down the road toward town. Once they saw streetlights, she slowed down. “What the hell happened?”

“I saw it Phas. I saw the Arkanis Devil.”

“You saw it?”

“I did. It spoke to me,” Hux laughed, relief washing over him.

“Bullshit.”

“I’m serious!”

“Did you get a picture?” she asked.

“What? No! I think I actually lost my phone.”

“You’re so full of it.”

“Search me! It dropped from the trees and scared the shit out of me, spoke, and took my phone.”

“And what did it say?”

“It said its name was Kylo.”

Phasma stared at him, skepticism written all over her face. “Its name is Kylo?”

“That’s what it said.”

“Did you exchange numbers?” she joked.

Hux groaned in frustration and furiously dug his palms into his eyes. “For fuck’s sake.”

“I’m taking you home. I don’t know what you were smoking out there but I’m a little pissed you didn’t share.”

Hux remained silent the short drive back to his house, muttering only a goodnight when he got out. Once inside, he bolted up the stairs to avoid his parents and slammed the door to his room. He wasn’t looking forward to having to explain to his father where his cellphone went to. He flopped down onto his bed, shoes kicked off and tossed wherever. A chill shot down his spine and he looked up to find his window open. Swearing he had shit it before he left, Hux shut it now and that was when he noticed his phone, caked in a bit of mud, sitting on his bedside table. Tentatively, he picked it up, wiping the dirt off the screen with his shirtsleeve. Everything was in working order it seemed, something to be thankful for. He started to wonder if he really did drop it in the woods or if he had managed to pick it up before he fled. Opening the messages to let Phasma know he had found it after all, he found a draft already queued up. It was Kylo, camera flash making him appear whiter than he had in the woods, smiling in a rather dazzling way. Underneath, he had typed, “I think you’re cute.”

Hux closed the phone and let it fall to the floor. This had all been too much. He turned off the lights, crawled up the covers, and reached up behind him to lock the window. Giving it a second thought, he decided to let the window go and drifted off to sleep.


	10. Out of Luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween day 13 prompt-bad luck Friday the 13th. Hux doesn't believe in luck but bad luck certainly believes in him.

Huxloween #13-Bad Luck Friday the 13th

 

“Friday the 13th is just another day,” Hux repeated for the umpteenth time that day. His morning hadn’t started well. He woke up late, spilled coffee on his suit jacket, left his briefcase and keys on the counter (something he didn’t notice until he was on the subway), and then train stopped running making him 20 minutes late for work. He tried to sneak over to his desk without notice, ducking and weaving through cubicles, but managed to get caught by his boss who was looking for the weekly reports, which were on his kitchen counter in his briefcase. This latest misstep seemed to be the last straw. 

Getting fired wasn’t all that bad. Getting fired by your father, in front of all your coworkers who hate you because you are the boss’s son, well, that was a whole other story. Tail between his legs and pockets stuffed with stolen office supplies, Armitage Hux walked out onto the street and wandered to the nearest coffee shop, which of course was a Starbucks. Armed with his pumpkin spice latte, he claimed a table and pulled out his phone.

“A little early for a break, isn’t it?” Phasma asked by way of greeting.

“I got sacked,” Hux replied in a bored tone.

“Old man finally kicked your ass to the curb?”

“Sad thing is, I wasn’t even trying today. Two years I’ve pissed about First Order Bank and the one day I’m just trying to make it through I get sacked.” 

“Happy Friday the 13th,” she laughed.

“No shit. I locked myself out of the apartment by the way. Are you going to be late?”

“No, I only have a couple of clients today. I should be back home between 3 and 4, fate permitting.”

“Wonderful. I told Jeanie I’d meet her for lunch around noon.”

“Jeanie,” Phasma said the name like a curse. 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Be nice to her.”

“I really can’t. I have tried and it’s like an allergic reaction. I get violently ill.” 

“Goodbye Phas. I’ll see you at home.” He hung up the phone and got to work searching for a new job. Perhaps something outside an office this time? 

Time seemed to stretch on but eventually, lunch time did arrive and Hux booked it a few blocks over to meet Jeanie at Luke’s. She was already there, sitting at a patio table, phone in hand, blonde hair pulled into one of those perfect wavy ponytails, sporting a pair of leggings, long sleeved tee, and one of those quilted vests. She looked much like every other Manhattan woman sitting out there and Hux had to take a minute to really make sure it was her. 

“Hello dear,” he greeted going in for a kiss on the cheek and getting rebuffed by her hand. 

“I haven’t gotten a photo yet today,” she chastised looking up from her phone.

Hux took the seat opposite of her, trying not to be irritated. “Did you order anything yet?”

“No. But, um, we need to talk.”

“Shit,” he sighed dropping the menu back down onto the table. “I’ve had a bad day so far; can we postpone this week’s breakup for a few days?”

“I’ve met someone else this time. We’ve been seeing each other for a couple of weeks- “

“A couple of weeks? Fuck’s sake Jeanie! Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“I wanted to make sure I actually liked him. I didn’t want to get stuck in another relationship like this.”

“Perfect. So, that it then?” 

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? You could have just called you know?”

“I wanted to do this with some decorum.”

“Thank you for that I guess.”

“I have to get going. I’m meeting Blaine, that’s his name, for lunch. I’ll see you, ok.”

“I fucking hope not,” he muttered as she got up and left. Hux let his head drop onto his folded arms on the table. This entire day was such shit. “Friday the 13th is just another day.”

“Were you ready to order or do you want to wait for your friend to come back?” the waiter asked.

Hux pulled his head up and was momentarily stunned by the rather handsome man waiting to take his order. His long black hair was pulled back into a small bun, showing off his deep brown eyes, protruding nose, and soft pillowy lips. His name tag said his name was Ben. 

“I think Hell will freeze over before she returns. Can I just get a Coke and grilled cheese and onion rings?” 

“Absolutely. Be right back.”

Hux could have sworn Ben winked at him but he didn’t allow himself to think on it much. Today was such an awful day he could very well just be imagining things to make himself feel better. 

Ben returned quickly, glass of Coke in hand and sat it gently on the table. “Food should be out quickly. Kinda slow today.”

“No rush.” Again, Hux thought he saw a wink and a smile. He pulled his phone out, firing off a quick text to Phasma letting her know that Jeanie was no more. 

“Bitch,” she texted back.

“I think my waiter is flirting with me.”

“Cute?”

“Yes.”

“Get back on the horse. Ride that man.”

Hux laughed and put the phone away. HE would surely make a mess of things if he tried to flirt back, he was sure of it. Perhaps tomorrow he would come back and give it a go. 

Ben was back at the table, two plates in hand. He sat the larger plate, Hux’s sandwich and onion rings, directly in front of the red-haired man and then placed a smaller plate holding a piece of pumpkin pie over to the side. “You look like you’re having a rough day. Pumpkin pie on me,” Ben explained.

“I couldn’t possibly- “

“You can, and you will. Enjoy.”

Hux watched him walking away this time, appreciating the view. Perhaps things were looking up? He ate slowly, thumbing through the news on his phone, knowing he had a few hours before Phasma was due at home and nowhere else to go after lunch. He was midway through an article about the possibility of Earth having a second moon and finished with his meal when a commotion next to him caught his attention. Before he could figure out what going on however, a plate of pasta rained down on him along with a pitcher of water. 

“Shit! I am so sorry!” Ben cried pulling a towel free from his waist and attempting to wipe Hux down.

“It’s ok. Really, I’m fine,” Hux assured him, pulling a clump of noodles out of his shirt. 

“Damn it Ben! Go get a more towels to clean this up!” an older man yelled walking out onto the patio. “I’m so sorry sir.”

“No really, it isn’t a big deal,” Hux pressed.

“Now Ben!”

Ben sulked off looking dejected, against Hux’s protests.

“It’s really fine.” Hux pulled out his wallet and checked his phone for damage. The screen on the phone wouldn’t turn on but his wallet at least didn’t catch any errant moisture.

“Please sir, the meal is on us for the inconvenience.”

“You don’t have to- “

“I insist. And if you need it, I’ll pay for the dry cleaning.”

“That won’t be necessary either.” Hux started to pull a few bills from his wallet but the older man forced him to put them back. 

Hux wanted t to wait around for Ben to come back to let the waiter know it was not an issue at all but the owner was keen to hang around him and keep apologizing and he couldn’t take it anymore. Covered in food, with nowhere else to go, and slightly afraid of what else could happen, he went home and sat on the stoop of his apartment building waiting for Phasma to get home. 

“You look like shit,” Phasma sighed when she strolled up to the steps. “What the hell happened to you?”

“So many things,” Hux replied attempting to stand and failing when he realized his legs had fallen asleep. “Leave me here to die Phas.”

“No, come on.” Phasma pulled him up onto his feet and helped him inside where she dumped him onto the couch. “You want to order a pizza for dinner?”

“Yes. Here, we can use my card.” Hux reached into his back pocket for his wallet but it wasn’t there. He checked the other pocket and both front ones, no wallet to be found. He did however, find his ruined cell phone which he angrily chucked across the room. “My wallet is missing.”

“Better call and cancel your cards.”

“My phone is ruined.”

“You better lock yourself in your room and perhaps make an outfit of bubble wrap.”

“I doubt even that would stop fate today.”

“Why don’t you jump into the shower and change while I order a pizza. My treat this time,” Phasma replied patting Hux on the head.

“I can’t argue.” Hux took an indulgent warm shower and changed into his more comfortable jeans and a sweater. 

“Got about another hour on food,” Phasma informed him.

“Wonderful.”

“Could be sooner.” Just as she said it, the front door buzzer alerted them to someone outside. 

“Well, time does fly,” Hux joked. “I’ll go down and get it.” He grabbed Phasma’s wallet off the table as he made his way to the door.

“Really? What if you fall down the stairs?”

“Leave me.” 

It was only three flights of stairs to the door and Hux took them quickly. “Thanks for waiting. How much is it?” he asked opening the door and not looking up.

“Sorry?”

Hux’s head shot up recognizing the voice instantly. “Ben?”

“Yeah, hi,” Ben replied sheepishly. “You left your wallet at the restaurant.” He handed the plain brown leather wallet over to Hux. “I would have been here sooner but I had to finish my shift.”

“I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble. I really wasn’t bothered. This whole day has been a disaster.”

Ben shook his head. “The owner is my uncle. He was all bark and no bite. I’m really sorry though.”

“It really was no problem. And now that I have you here…” Hux opened his wallet and pulled out some ones. “I didn’t get to tip you.”

“I can’t take it, really.”

“Call it a reward for returning my wallet.”

Again, Ben refused the money. 

“At least come in then. My roommate and I ordered pizza and I’m sure some channel has a Friday the 13th marathon going.”

“That I can do.”

“What were you doing down there?” Phasma asked when they walked through the door. “Who’s your friend and where’s the food?”

“False alarm on the pizza. Phasma, Ben. Ben, my roommate Phasma,” Hux explained. 

“Nice to meet you.”

They all plopped down onto the couch, Phasma searching the channels for Jason Voorhees, Ben and Hux sitting side by side, exchanging shy smiles. Hux placed his hand on Ben’s knee in a moment of bravery and Ben slid his arm around the other man’s shoulders. Perhaps Friday the 13th wasn’t another day.


	11. Bobbing for Apples

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 14-curse/bobbing for apples. There was no way in Hell Hux was going to put his head in that vat of germs.

Huxloween #14-Curse/Bobbing for Apples

 

“Fuck no,” Hux grumbled, crossing his arms and turning away from Kylo.

“It’ll be fun,” Kylo whined.

“There is nothing fun about dunking your face in a vat of germy water.”

Kylo rolled his eyes. “I’m doing it.”

“You’re not kissing me when you’re done,” Hux argued.

“Like you could resist.” Kylo pulled a hair tie from his back pocket and proceeded to pull his medium length black hair back into a ponytail. “Wish me luck.”

Hux grimaced and muttered a “Luck.”

Kylo dove head first into the plastic tub filled with ice, water, and apples. Hux waited, his face tangled in a look of disgust thinking about all the other people that had been in that container throughout the night, drunk and drooling like idiots. Kylo’s head popped out a moment later, icy water dripping down his face, a shiny red apple between his teeth. He wiped the excess fluid from his eyes and turned to face Hux, beaming despite the fruit in his mouth.

Hux had to admit, he looked oddly charming standing there, prize proudly displayed in his mouth. Instead of kissing him, which was his initial intention, Hux leaned forward and took a small bite from the apple. 

Kylo pulled the fruit from his mouth, taking a bite as he did. “Come on, lets find me a towel.”


	12. Yard Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 15-fall leaves. Kylo hates yard work but Hux doesn't seem to mind.

Huxloween #15-Leaves

 

Kylo wasn’t sure how he got roped into yard duty by his father. He had a job, went to college, chores should have been off his plate and yet here he was, rake in hand and a yard full of leaves awaiting him. He had so many other plans for his day off. Granted, most of them involved his bed, a couple included a certain red-head. Speaking of the devil…

Hux wandered into the backyard, hands in his jeans’ pockets, wearing a black sweater a couple of sizes too big because it belonged to Kylo. 

“Nice sweater,” Kylo called out.

“Thanks. It’s my boyfriend’s.”

“Lucky guy.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“You’re so full of yourself,” Kylo laughed.

“I have every right to be.”

“It does look good on you. Make you look…well…mine. “Kylo stole a quick kiss. “What are you doing here?”

Hux shrugged. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d swing by. I like seeing your face.”

“It’s an ok face.”

“I like it.”

“That’s what matters.”

“Raking leaves?” Hux asked, gesturing toward the rake.

“This? No, I was going to play some Quidditch but I lost my broom.”

Hux laughed. “Smart ass.”

“My old man conned me into yard work.”

“Should I leave you to it?”

“Hell no. I need someone to keep me from going insane.” Kylo got to work, Hux trailing behind, kicking leaves over here and there. “I have an extra rake you know.”

“Fascinating.”

“Care to help?”

“Nope.”

“Some boyfriend.”

“I’m a trophy boyfriend.”

“I knew you were just a pretty face.” Kylo carried on raking and it didn’t take long for him to amass a large pile of leaves. “Almost done. I’ll go grab a couple of garbage bags and- “

Hux came running by at top speed. A few feet before the pile, he launched into the air, sailing into the mountains of red, orange, and yellow. He landed a little harder than he would have liked but sustained no injuries. 

“You ass,” Kylo accused, not a hint of anger in his voice. He picked up some of the leaves that had gone flying from the pile on impact and threw them onto Hux’s face, burying him further.

Hux just continued laughing, allowing himself to be covered until he decided he needed a friend and pulled Kylo into the mess. They laid there, half colored in leaves but full wrapped up in each other.


	13. Legend of Arkanis Hollow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 16-Headless Horseman. Dopheld Mitaka is eager to win Armitage's hand in marriage, but the spirits of Arkanis Hollow have other plans.

Huxloween #16-Headless Horseman

Dopheld Mitaka was a simple man; a school teacher by trade, who made a comfortable enough living in Connecticut and never really dreamed of a life of grandeur. That is, until he was sent to Arkanis Hollow. Barely settled, he laid eyes on the son of wealthy resident Brendol Hux. Of course, Armitage Hux was a worthy catch in his own right, fair skinned with piercing blue eyes, delicate features, and copper colored hair that was meticulously styled. He was also incredibly intelligent, boasting the highest grades in town as well as besting Dopheld himself at times. The fact he was worth the price of the entire town and then some, well, it only sweetened the deal. Dopheld had never wanted to possess a person before but the more time he spent in the company of Armitage, the more he was convinced the man belonged to him, as well as the vast fortune he was to inherit.

The only thing that stood in his way, in Dopheld’s opinion, was the other suitor vying for the man’s attention. Ben Solo was quite the hero about town, a skilled hunter, rider, and sportsman who was the picture of physical strength with his toned, muscular body. He was also handsome in a completely unique way than Armitage, bold facial features and wavy ebony hair that hung to his chin and wafted through the wind as he rode his stallion. Dopheld could not help but feel inferior, being a bit older with a squinty face and a physique that frankly needed a bit of exercise. Ben used his sport and feats of strength to impress Armitage while Dopheld try to use his wits, not that Ben was lacking in the mental department, he was rather clever. 

Ben was also precocious. He and his gang would delight in tormenting the teacher with silly pranks and jokes that Dopheld did not find amusing in the least. Just the previous day they had lit a firecracker outside his classroom window, causing the man to jump into the air whooping and howling in fear. The children had laughed and Dopheld had lost some of his dignity. It wasn’t the most devious thing to date, but it was certainly one that hit him the hardest, hating to look like a fool in front of his charges. 

The games were coming to an end however. After months of courtship and feeling confident in Armitage’s returned affection, Dopheld decided tonight, after the grand harvest party at the manor of Brendol Hux, he would ask for his beloved’s hand in marriage. Surely, it wouldn’t be denied, the elder Hux not only giving his blessing but seemingly pleased it was the school master asking. Brendol had certainly made it no secret that he found Ben Solo’s antics tiring, often chastising the boy and pushing his son to abandon the acquaintance. 

It seemed everyone in town was in attendance, the grand house more than capable of holding them all and still have room for more should they wander through. A grand feast was served and party games played until the evening began to wind down and everyone gathered round for chit chat and stories. Armitage sat on the couch, flanked by Ben and Dopheld, each competing to hold a conversation with their intended. 

“Dopheld,” Ben began addressing the other man for the first time that evening, “have you heard the tale of the Headless Horseman?”

“No, I don’t believe I have. Friend of yours?” Dopheld answered.

Ben chuckled, good naturedly and went on. “No, it’s a local legend. A tale nearly as old as this town.”

“Ah, another specter of Arkanis Hollow,” Dopheld laughed. “You have so many ghosts and goblins about town, it’s a wonder anyone steps foot out their door!” His first night in town had been filled with local lore, all of which revolved around the many hauntings in the area. It seemed not a stitch of land was untainted. 

“The Headless Horseman is no mere ghost my good man. Story goes he was a fierce warrior, leader of the Knights of Ren, a small group of soldiers sent in to clear the way when things became too difficult during the war. Kylo, as he was named, was a particularly cruel soldier, removing his opponents’ heads, keeping them as trophies. He died, ironically, when a stray cannon ball took his head clean off. Not given a proper burial, he was cursed to wander the Western Wood, masked head at his side, until he alleviated of the spell.”

“Fascinating,” Dopheld lied, clearly bored.

“You may not believe in our simple country fables Mr. Mitaka, but in case you should encounter Kylo Ren, ride to the old stone bridge. He cannot cross and instead will burst into lightning and ash.”

“I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

“You really don’t believe in anything supernatural?” Armitage asked.

“I am a man of science, knowledge, and fact my dear Armitage. There is no fact, no science, to back up these claims of wandering spirits and headless riders.”

“Seeing is believing,” Ben countered. “Hopefully you will not encounter our ghostly residents.”

“I disagree, I hope I do encounter them young Ben. Then I can truly be a resident of Arkanis Hollow.”

The remaining party guests started to file out after that, and eventually Dopheld was left alone with Armitage. Nerves overtook his body, wracking him head to toe with jitters. His hands trembled so badly, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to place the ring he had purchased on the other man’s finger when the time came. 

“My dearest Armitage,” he began, trying to keep his anxiety at bay, “the past months have been the happiest of my life and more than I could dare ever ask for. And yet, I am here to do just that, ask for more, specifically your hand in marriage. Will you Armitage Hux, do me the honor, of being my husband?”

 

“That little shit!” Dopheld cursed as he pushed his horse to the limit riding through the Western Wood back to the town proper. “How dare he reject me!” 

Armitage had been kind in his refusal, saying that while he did enjoy the company of Dopheld, he didn’t love him as anything more than a good friend. It had stung all the same, especially when he knew that the one who held his beloved’s heart was that brash Neanderthal Ben Solo. How could Dopheld go on living in Arkanis Hollow knowing that his arch enemy would soon hold the wealth he had so coveted? Seeing them together would be a constant reminder of the life he had missed out on.

The wind was fierce that night, the moon full and only light illuminating the shadowed wood. While not a believer in superstition and tales of ghosts, Dopheld couldn’t help but be a bit unsettled as he rode alone through the twisted trees, knowing the stories that lurked around every turn. While a learned man, he still had quite the imagination and that was why he had to keep looking this way and that, making sure the things he caught out of the corner of his eye were really natural inhabitants of the forest and not supernatural. 

He was now in the heart of the wood, halfway back to town. Anxiety was still gripping his stomach but he could feel relief on the horizon. Dopheld followed the bend, stopping his horse abruptly when a figure on the trail ahead came into full view. Seeming larger than the average man, cloaked in the night itself with a stallion to match, he stood unmoving.

“Sorry if I startled you sir,” Dopheld called out, laughing nervously. “But in that regard, we’re even.”

The stranger made no retort, nor did he move, his horse merely snorting in the chilled air making it seem as if smoke were billowing out its nostrils. 

“Have you come from the Hux’s home?” he tried again, and again there was no reply. Dopheld told himself the man was merely intoxicated, probably unsure if he was even being spoken too, and made to ride around. Unease overtook him however, the closer he got. It wasn’t until he was nearly next to the dark stranger that he realized, with horror, who the silent rider was. 

Perched on the saddle behind the man was a head, or rather a mask, black like the rest of him and accented in silver. Dopheld looked up, needing verification this was what he thought it was and sure enough, no head rest upon the other’s shoulders. Panicked, Dopheld kicked his horse into motion, forcing the beast into a run well beyond its physical capabilities, racing toward the stone bridge that had been deemed sanctuary. 

The Headless Horseman gave chase, closing the gap between them with ease on his horse from Hell. The bridge was in sight though, and Dopheld’s steed still had life in its legs. With another sharp kick, he urged the animal onward. 

Refuge was upon him, the sound of the horse’s hooves slapping the stone below was by far the sweetest sound he had ever heard. Dopheld stopped once across, turning to face his pursuer. To his horror, the horseman was not stopping at the bridge’s edge, nor did he burst into the lighting the legend promised. Instead, he stopped just past the halfway point, reaching behind for the mask. With great force, the undead Knight of Ren hurled the black monstrosity through the air. Dopheld watched the projectile sail into the night sky and continue its trajectory right into his terrified face. 

 

It was early morning when Poe Dameron left the comfort of his bed in favor of tending to the fields and animals of the farm. The sun was just cresting over the horizon, birds just beginning their morning song. It was peaceful and a time Poe enjoyed for himself before the hustle and bustle of the world took over. Today was a little different though, near his stable was a horse that did not belong to him. Tired and run down, the creature was barely standing, trying to reach across the gate to get to the water perched there. Quickly, Poe let the horse in, gathering some spare food for it as well. He looked about the farm for a glimpse of the owner, suspecting he too would be worn down and in need of assistance but found no one. Poe went to the neighboring house, rousing his friend Finn from his slumber to see if he knew anything of the mystery horse. 

“I do believe that horse belongs to the school master, Dopheld Mitaka,” Finn offered. “Bought it from old man Skywalker if I’m not mistaken.”

“Do you think something happened to him?” Poe asked growing more concerned.

“He left the Hux’s rather late. Perhaps he forgot to secure the horse. We should return it to him.” 

Poe and Finn set out for town, the horse, slightly better off than when Poe had found it, in tow. Dopheld Mitaka however, was not at home, nor was he at the school. Deciding they should check the Hux estate in case he had decided to stay the night, they made their way to the stone bridge. 

“What is that?” Finn asked pointing toward a pile of black shards and broken mask lying on the ground next to the bridge.

“I don’t know,” Poe answered bending down to inspect the rubble. “Looks like a mask of some kind.” He peered around the bridge’s edge for more clues, finding a tri-pointed hat. “Say, this looks like Mr. Mitaka’s hat.”

“Indeed, it does!”

Dopheld Mitaka was not at the Hux estate when the pair arrived. He never returned home either. In fact, he was never seen around town again and the residents of Arkanis Hollow all agreed, he had been victim of the Headless Horseman, his scoffing and disbelief calling the Knight of Ren to life. Armitage Hux mourned his lost friend briefly, moving on to planning his wedding to Ben Solo, who had proposed after an appropriate amount of time after the school teacher’s loss, to the chagrin of Brendol Hux. Fortunately for the couple, the elder man could not object long. He had gone missing after a night in the town pub, feared to be another victim of the Horseman when all that was found of him was his flask and hat.

“Congratulations again Ben,” Poe said when he came across the groom at the wedding reception. 

“Thank you. I am indeed a lucky man,” Ben replied, raising a glass to his new husband across the room. “Truly Armitage is a treasure.”

“Indeed, he is. Tell me, was it ever really a competition between you and Dopheld Mitaka? Or was it you who held the young Hux’s heart this entire time?” Poe inquired.

Ben smiled wistfully. “My ego tells me there was never a chance Armitage wouldn’t be mine. I’ve loved him since childhood, everything I am is to win his heart.”

“That’s very romantic.”

“Thank you.”

“Shame though about Mr. Mitaka. Do you really believe he was spirited away by the Headless Horseman? Or do you think he ran in shame at Armitage’s refusal?”

“Who’s to say?” Ben shrugged, his face growing into a knowing smile as he turned away from his friend to accept the well wishes of another guest. 

Dopheld Mitaka was never seen again and Ben Solo lived to the end of his days happily with his loving husband, and their shared fortune.


	14. Sarah Mills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt #20-Local Myth or Legend. Threw in a couple of stories from around my hometown, both told to me by my mother. See the end notes for a little more info.

Huxloween #20-Local Myth or Legend

 

“Where are we going?” Kylo asked for the hundredth time since they had gotten into the car. 

“I told you, it’s a surprise,” Hux answered, carefully navigating the winding road ahead of them in the dark. Being the country meant there were no streetlights to illuminate the dangerous curves, he was just thankful there was dirt and grass on either side of the road, not steep cliffs. They were going to a place he had ben before, not enough times to have every bend in the street memorized but enough that he could find the hidden turnoff without issue. “We’re almost there.” 

“Being out in the country is nerve wracking. I like the city.”

“Agreed but this should be worth it.”

Hux expertly rounded the next s-curve, made the sharp turn onto a small gravel road, wide enough for only one car, and then headed up the hill at a steep incline. Hux seemed unbothered so Kylo tried to be as well. The moon was full but offered little light from behind the clouds, so Kylo couldn’t make out where they were. 

“We’re going to have to walk a bit,” Hux informed him, stepping out of the car and moving to the other side to open Kylo’s door. “Not far, I assure you.”

Kylo got out of the car as well, placing a kiss on Hux’s cheek as he did. “So, dark area in the middle of nowhere…am I making it out of here alive?”

“Perhaps. Come on.” 

They began walking. There was no path, just grass. They each stumbled a couple of times, neither had brought a flashlight and the ground had a few gopher holes here and there to trip them up. 

Kylo kept looking around and slowly, the shapes in the shadows began to take form and he realized, “We’re in a cemetery, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” Hux beamed. 

“Interesting.”

“Well, it’s no abandoned hospital but I think you’ll find this interesting. The grave yard is old, some graves dating back to the 1600’s. The most recent tombstone reads 1901.”

Kylo gave a low whistle. “That is old.”

“I first came here with Phasma, she’s the one who told me all of this. Ah, there is the one we’re looking for.”

The tombstone in question wasn’t a typical marker rather, it was a medium sized angel statue perched on a pedestal. Tears had been sculpted under her eyes and her hands were pressed together in prayer. Kylo took a step forward to read the name carved onto the base, time had worn it away but the name Sarah Mills could still be seen, 1677-1693 were the only dates. At some point there had been something else written under that but it was no longer legible.

“Sixteen, that’s young,” Kylo sighed.

“It is. Take a step back, the clouds are clearing.”

Kylo did as he was told, curious as to what was about to happen. The moon’s beams rained down on the cemetery, giving some light to the area, but it also did something else curious. Around the angel’s neck, appeared a blue light that seemed to come directly from the moon, like a noose. Kylo took another step back, circling the grave. 

“A trick of the light?” he asked.

“Perhaps. But the story that goes with this grave makes the phenomena rather curious. I researched this myself so I can say with certainty it’s true. Sarah Mills was a local girl, pretty, vivacious, and smart. Nothing you want to be in the 1690’s. Salem was rife with witch talk and it began to spread even out here. Seemed some girls in town were jealous and poor Sarah was accused of witchcraft. The trial was a farce, her parent fighting tooth and nail for her to no avail. She was hung from a tree just down the road.”

“That’s awful.”

“That isn’t all. Being that she was hung as a witch, she was denied a proper burial. Her parents had to wait to go claim her, when they finally did, she had been feasted on by animals. They salvaged what they could, burying her on their property. They buried her after the witch hysteria died out. The pedestal here is the original marker, the angel was added later after they received compensation for her murder. They say the noose appears because she hadn’t been allowed to rest in peace originally. A grim reminder as to her fate.”

Kylo pulled Hux close, his arms encircling the other man’s waist to hold him. “It’s eerily beautiful and sad.” 

“If we got down the road a little way, perhaps we can catch the phantom motorcycle rider.”

“How does that story go?”

“You haven’t heard this one either?” Hux questioned. “Well, back in the 80’s a man was riding a motorcycle down this road, he missed a curve and launched off his bike after he hit something. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and it wasn’t pretty. They say you can sometimes see him driving down the road and crashing all over again.” 

“How morbid.”

“I know.”

“Let’s check it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my father, being a bit odd, took my mother to a small very old cemetery for one of their first dates. He told her about the grave with the angel on top. She swore she saw the blue noose that was wrapped around the statue's neck, unfortunately, by the time she took me there, it had been removed because local hooligans kept defiling it. There were two stories that went with the grave, neither could be proven. One is the one I included in the story, the other is that instead of being a witch, she was just a normal girl who hung herself.   
> The small story of the phantom biker has little more truth to it. The biker in question was a friend of my mother who did indeed die when he missed a bend in the road, not wearing a helmet. Apparently it was very soon after people started talking about a motorcycle cruising down this winding road, only to go flying off it it and disappearing. She never dared go there at night to find out. I however did and saw nothing of the sort.


	15. Just One Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Huxloween prompt #22-Masks/Masquerades. Adult content ahead!

Huxloween #22-Masks/Masquerade

 

Prince Ben hated social functions, being paraded about swaddled in the finest furs and jewels as if he were a show pony. Behold your future king! It was all too much. His mother seemed to be much of the same mind, finding corners to hide in surrounding herself with politicians and talking work while his father, on the other hand, charmed guests and mingled with the masses. Ben tried not to catch his reflection in the mirror, always thinking himself a jackass when he saw himself dressed up for these things. This party being a masquerade didn’t do anything to ease that. If the lights should hit him in the wrong way, someone would surely be blinded. He toyed with the crown in his hands, turning it round and round, wishing it would disappear. 

Was it not the point of a masquerade to blend into the crowd? Lose yourself for the night and let inhibitions leave you? How was one to do such a thing when their entire costume was ostentatious? Ben tossed the crown onto the vanity with a sigh. He wanted, just for one night, to know what it was to be like everyone else. 

“That is a lovely cloak your highness.”

Ben turned to regard the servant who had just walked in carrying a tray topped with assorted snacks and a glass of rich red wine. He smiled at him cordially. “Think so? I thought it a bit showy.”

“Surely not for the future king,” the man replied trying to hide the awe in his voice as his eyes fell on the jewel adorned crown. 

The prince watched the other man in his mirror, and idea forming as he mentally sized him up. Approximately the same height and build, hair not much different and with a bit of styling…a devious grin made its way across his lips. “How would you like to try it on?”

 

 

The music was a roar above the raucous crowd, already in frenzy even though the night was young and the grand ball had just started. Prince Ben was in the receiving line, dutifully greeting his guests...or so it seemed. In truth, the real Ben was watching from across the ballroom, face hidden behind a plain yet elegant mask, drink in hand. His servant seemed to be reveling in the role, playing the part to perfection. Ben felt confident he could make it through the entire evening without having to intervene and take his rightful place. He skirted the edge of the dancefloor, watching the couples whirl about in a sea of glittered taffeta and silks. It was beautiful really, something he hadn’t noticed in the center of the horde of hangers on. The music swelled to a fever pitch, sending the dancers into an energetic crescendo, ending in a strong harsh note that softened into a haunting ring.

Dancers began to leave the floor, seeking refreshment and a place to rest their weary feet while others readied themselves for the next song which seemed to be more somber in nature. Enough of the crowd had dispersed Ben could see the other side of the room. A slender man, dressed in black, no frills, stood nursing a drink of his own on the edge of the floor. Even though he was wearing a mask, Ben could see the piercing green eyes underneath. He was captivated and for once, not bound by duty. He crossed the dance floor, careful to sidestep the swirling couples and not get tangled up in the many dress trains littering the glossy ballroom floor, his eyes never leaving his target.

The prey in question remained rooted to the spot, an air of disinterest hung about him until he caught sight of the cloaked dark figure approaching. He rolled his shoulders back, chest puffing out a tad, his chin lifting ever so slightly toward the ceiling. Ben was amused. 

“Good evening,” Ben greeted, voice like cashmere sliding from between his lips, dangerously close the other man’s ear.

A shiver, so small it wouldn’t be noticed by anyone else in the room if they were not as close as Ben was, ran down the man’s spine. An involuntary body spasm and it set Ben’s entire body aflame. 

“Evening,” the man replied as if his body hadn’t betrayed him, his green eyes trained on the dancers. 

“Enjoying yourself so far?”

“I’m new to these soirees. I’m not sure how to enjoy myself.”

“Depends, are you here to climb the social ladder or are you perched upon it so high you’re looking to make the puppets below you dance for your favor?” Ben inquired.

“Does it have to be one or the other?”

“I have yet to see a third option.”

“What of you then?”

“Hmmmm…I guess tonight I am looking to win the favor of a mysterious stranger.”

“And what if that stranger is beneath your station?” the man asked.

“Well, then I guess we would have the elusive third option, stooping below one’s place to win the favor of his lesser. If you believed in such things as rank and what not.”

“You don’t?”

“When it comes to station? No. The family you were born to or married into does not place you above anyone else. I believe in actions,” Ben explained.

“You sound like our fearless queen.”

“She is an inspiration.” It was true, Ben found his mother to be quite the breath of fresh air when it came to the world of royalty. She took her duties very seriously but ruled in fairness and honesty. To her a pauper on the street could be of just as much if not more value than the wealthiest man on the richest planet. He loved to butt heads with her, rile her up and light her fire, but at the end of the day she was personal hero, though he wouldn’t openly admit it to her. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

“I have no interest in furthering myself and I lack the desire to have others use me to fort their personal gains. I guess, I just accepted the invitation on the premise it was part of my duty.”

“Duty? Now I’m really intrigued.”

“What is your place in all this?”

“You like to avoid personal questions.”

“You seem rather proficient in the art as well?” the stranger fired back jovially.

Ben laughed at that. “I’m just a simple servant of the royal family. A guardian of the prince.” A half truth at best, an outright lie in reality. But Ben wasn’t planning on this flirtation going past the night. 

“Seems we are much the same.”

“So, you serve the royal family then?”

“Don’t we all in the grand scheme of things?”

Again, Ben laughed. “Fair enough. Would it be too personal if I inquired as to your date this evening?”

“I came alone. Yourself?”

“Alone as well.”

“Hoping to meet s handsome stranger?”

“Hoping to meet anyone really. It’s quite a lonely existence I lead.”

“Oh?”

Ben tried to piece together a truthful story without saying too much, afraid his conversation partner would catch on. “My proximity to the royal family makes me a target for those with unsavory intentions. Parents trying to better their child’s social standing, those who would wish the royal family harm, and some opportunists who see me as an easy target for riches.”

“Snakes are everywhere as it were.”

“Indeed. You should watch yourself.”

“Isn’t that the oldest trick in the book? A snake warning their prey of other snakes? Seems as though you’re trying to win my trust.”

“Trust? That’s a lot to ask for upon first meeting. I’d settle for a name though.”

“Hux. You?”

“Kylo.” It was a name he had used in fantasies, taken from an old tale rarely told about a brave knight of Ren who saved a magic kingdom from the clutches of an evil wizard. Ben had always fancied the story, reading it over and over through the years. His mother had joked that she had taught him to read at an early age simply because she had gown tired of reading the tale. If Hux knew it, he showed no signs of detecting a lie. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” Hux greeted, tilting his head in a slight bow. 

“Well, the pleasure is yet to come.” It was a corny line but, Ben hadn’t much practice in the art of flirtation. Conquests usually flung themselves at him for a chance to say they slept with the future king, something only spoken in hushed whispers around the court of course for propriety’s sake. 

Hux smiled all the same, a grin somewhere between amused and the proverbial cat with the canary. Devious with no sinister intent. “I wouldn’t suppose you knew somewhere we could sneak off to?”

“It just so happens, I know many a place we could disappear.”

“Lead the way.”

Ben tentatively grabbed Hux’s hand, leading him toward the open ballroom doors, nerves suddenly seizing him. Finding someone to share his bed had never been an issue for Ben, but this meant that he had no talents so to speak in seduction. Nor was he confident in his bedroom prowess. Of course, his lovers had always been all too keen to praise him for a job well done but who would honestly critique the prince about his intimate talents? His own pleasure was usually at the forefront as well leaving him to wonder if he truly ever returned the favor or if it had all been false acclaim as well. 

The thoughts became more intrusive, more solid in his mind. Part of Ben wanted to run, lock himself away in his bedroom and forget he had even tried any of this but another, bolder and daring part, the very same that convinced a servant to don the guise of a prince, pushed him onwards. Perhaps sensing his hesitation, or maybe just growing impatient with the anticipation, Hux pushed Ben up against the stone wall, his lips finding the prince’s for a heated hurried kiss. Ben gave serious consideration to taking his masked lover right there in the corridor but the sounds from the ballroom were still too close and being caught quite literally with his pants down would surely send his mother to the grave. 

With a low growl, Ben pulled Hux onward, his pace quickening now to almost a run. He needed this man. They rounded a few corners before Ben thrust Hux up against a heavy wood door, mouths crashing into one another, all teeth and tongue. The prince fumbled with the door handle until it opened from underneath them, sending the couple stumbling backward, but not falling to the floor. Ben disentangled himself from Hux’s arms to shut and lock the door behind them.

“Library?” Hux asked looking around the room for the first time. 

“The prince’s study,” Ben answered watching Hux’s curious inspection. 

“He won’t mind?” It was playful, not serious question, that even if answered unfavorably would not stop them from going through with this tryst.

“Well, what he won’t know and all that. Come here.” Ben requested taking a seat on the couch in front of the fire place, flames heating the air around them, not that they needed it. Hux took the seat next to him, his arm snaking across the back of the couch and behind Ben’s shoulders.

The hurried kisses from early had now become languid, gentle, and savored. Ben could taste the brandy Hux had been drinking when the met, the drink now forgotten on a table back in the ballroom, as well as the heady mix that was Hux’s own sweet flavor. Hands became exploratory, Hux’s loosening Ben’s cloak and tossing it to the floor while Ben’s own hands made quick work of the row of silver buttons down Hux’s jacket. Shirts were tossed through the air next, both eager to get ahold of flesh, the relaxed entwining of their tongues becoming rushed again the more their fingers found of each other.

Hux broke away, lavishing Ben’s neck with nips, kisses, and bruises to prove he had been there. His passionate assault continued down Ben’s chest, detouring to lick and suck his lover’s nipples into heightened rose-colored peaks. Ben hissed and moaned with each sensation, allowing himself to indulge in every moment, his mind for once deliciously blank. Deft fingers found their way to Ben’s pants zipper bringing him back round to the situation at hand. He pushed Hux’s hands aside, sitting up to remove and chuck his shoes off into the shadows, once again claiming the other man’s mouth with his own. Hux decided to follow suit, loosing his boots in much the same manner. Pants weren’t far behind leaving them only clad in their masks, an unspoken agreement between them to keep their true identities a mystery, making this clandestine rendezvous all the more intriguing. 

Ben managed to get the better of the smaller man, pinning him underneath him gently, allowing his eyes to rake over Hux’s body, taking in and memorizing every contour and freckle. He was beautiful, toned muscle without that overly built up body so many of his guards had. 

“Problem?” Hux inquired, all bravado covering up the small voice of insecurity in the back of his mind.

“You’re perfect,” Ben sighed bending down to trail sloppy kisses down the center of Hux’s chest leading to the mound of soft scarlet-colored hair guarding Ben’s prize. Hux was near full attention already, his hands winding their way through Ben’s hair, urging him lower, head thrown back in a silent hiss of anticipation. Ben’s tongue traced the underside of Hux’s cock all the way to the tip where he took him fully into his mouth. 

Hux’s eyes snapped open, his fingers tightening their hold of Ben’s hair, as the secret prince lavished his swollen member with different swirls of the tongue, sucking, and twists of the hand. Ben’s fingers found that sweet spot tucked behind Hux’s balls sending the redhead’s hips bucking a bit harder at the added stimulation. It wasn’t long before that all too familiar feeling began to build up inside Hux’s gut telling him release was close.

“Fuck, I’m close,” Hux breathed trying to calm himself down to keep this feeling from ending too soon.

Ben had other ideas however, pulling Hux’s cock free from his mouth but still working him with his hands. “Come for me,” he commanded gently.

Hux could feel that internal flame rising to climax as he ebbed closer to his own. It was if his lover could feel it too. Before he could cum, Ben had him in his mouth again, sucking him off and swallowing the hot seed that spilled into his mouth and down his throat. Hux had never been more turned on before, eager to return the favor when he came down from the incredible orgasm still ravaging his body. 

Eventually Ben allowed Hux to slip free of his mouth, enjoying the view of his spent lover. “Don’t tell me you’re already tuckered out,” he teased.

“And leave you wanting? Not a chance.” Hux was upon him again, biting gently at Ben’s lower lip, seeking entry into his mouth unbothered by what had just transpired between them. Ben greedily obliged him, his own tongue seeking the other in a manic entanglement. “Do you happen to carry lube in your pocket?” Hux asked when they broke for air.

“No, but I can do you one better.” Ben hated to get up but he did all the same, crossing the room to the desk on the opposite side. He yanked open one of the drawers, pulling out a hidden lubricant bottle from the underside, and returned to his waiting partner. 

“Come here often?”

“Pun intended?”

“Happy accident,” Hux laughed.

“Something I found unintentionally one day,” he lied. 

“Lucky for us.”

“Indeed.” Ben poured a generous amount of the clear silky liquid onto his hand, coating his fingers. Hux wrapped his legs around his waist, doing his best to relax even though excitement had gripped him yet again. Ben was gentle, easing one finger in at a time, gently stretching the smaller man open so he could enter him with little effort, all the while watching every spark of pleasure flitter across his lover’s face. 

“Please,” Hux whimpered, his fingers reaching desperately for Ben’s painfully engorged cock. 

Ben didn’t need further encouragement. Taking his lubed cock in hand, he lined himself up with Hux’s entrance, taking a second to admire the man before entering him slowly, indulging in every sensation. It was Hux who started pushing things along, his hips grinding toward Ben startling him out of his reverie and stoking his fire. They quickly found their rhythm, somewhere between frantic and controlled. Short, yet deep, impassioned thrusts had them both ebbing the line of no return. Ben tried to let his mind wander off somewhere else to keep from losing himself, but the feeling inside Hux was too strong to ignore. One hand ensnared Hux’s hands by their wrists, pinning them above his head on the couch arm while the other wove its way around his cock again. Determined to cum together, Ben began to stroke the other man in time with his thrusts, upping the pace when he felt his own release encroaching upon him. 

Hux came undone only a second before Ben did, the larger man collapsing on top of his partner. Both were out of breath, slick with sweat and another bodily fluid. After regaining some sense of himself, Ben sat up, bringing Hux with him to rest against his chest. 

“Stars, that was amazing,” Hux sighed allowing himself to be held, something out of his normal comfort zone.

“Oh good, I was worried,” Ben laughed.

“Like Hell you were.”

“Well, I haven’t exactly had any complaints yet. I imagine you have only adoring fans as well.”

Hux shrugged. “Never asked.”

“Love em and leave em, huh?”

“I was busy with my career.”

“And now?”

“Now? Well, perhaps we’ll see each other at the next function.”

Ben knew it was for the best, but the thought still stung. They reclined there for awhile longer, enjoying the final moments of their torrid affair. Eventually, they pulled away from each other, scouring the room for their respected garments, slipping out back into the ballroom unnoticed. The party was still going, and quite possibly even more frenzied than before. With a final squeeze of the hand, Hux slipped away into the crowd leaving Ben behind. 

 

 

Ben had left the ball early and spent the following day in bed behind locked doors with the stern orders not to be disturbed. Come Monday, his mother had enough of his sulking and roused him his bed and into the fresher to meet the new general. 

“It’ll be good for you to get out of this room. Why are these curtains always closed?” Queen Leia grumbled, picking stray clothes up off the floor and flinging them into a pile by the wall. She made mental note to send the maids in while he was out. 

“The sun is bright,” Ben called from the bathroom, mouth full of toothpaste.

“That’s kind of the point. You should go out into the gardens. Bring your book.”

It wasn’t a bad idea really. The prince grabbed his favorite book, the tale of Kylo of Ren, up off his nightstand as he exited the bathroom fully dressed in the fresh clothes his mother had tossed in there. “Fine. I’ll meet you general and take lunch in the garden. I’m not wearing the crown.”

“Works for me. Let’s go.”

They made their way down the hall to the queen’s study. She always refused to use the throne room, as was customary for these sorts of things, finding the echo-filled cavernous room unnecessary for such a small group of people. Ben lacked any and all interest in such affairs. Generals were all the same, staunch and pompous with rounded guts that had not seen really training in ages. They were figures behind a desk, ready to sacrifice anyone to keep their asses comfortable. He didn’t bother to hide his look of indifference when they entered the room where King Han was already chatting away with the new commander, who was obstructed from view by the high-backed chair he was currently occupying. 

The voice that floated through the air was familiar and Ben’s lackluster attitude turned round on a dime, his feet quickening their pace slightly of their own accord. He stumbled slightly, dropping his book in front of the general’s boots. They both bent down for the old tome, Ben abandoning his treasured possessions when those piercing green eyes met his brown ones. 

Hux’s hands grabbed the book, reading the title curiously before standing to hand it back to the prince. 

“Hux,” Ben whispered.

“Kylo,” he greeted back, with a wink. 

If the king and queen heard their exchange, they made no show of it. Instead, his mother introduced them properly. They made the usual pleasantries, the meeting brief and official. Ben exited the room first, waiting around the corner for his general to appear which he did only moments later. 

“That was some stunt you pulled at the ball,” Hux remarked coming to a stop in front of the prince. 

“I was just trying to win the favor of a handsome stranger.”

“I spent all day yesterday wondering how I would find you again, cursing myself for letting you go and then wondering how you affected me so.”

“Care to have lunch? We could ponder it together,” Ben offered.

“Would I call you your highness, Ben, or Kylo?”

“You can call me asshole for all I care, I just want the pleasure of your company.”

“Ah, the pleasure is yet to come,” Hux teased.

“That going to haunt me forever?”

“You think you would keep me so long?”

“I have a feeling I will keep you until you ask to be set free,” Ben admitted.

“So smitten.”

“Yes. I am.”

“Love at first fuck?” Hux mused.

Ben shook his head. “I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“That’s so sappy.”

“Yes, and it’s true.”


	16. Broken Vows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huxloween prompt day 29-Spooky Movie AU. For this prompt I chose Corpse Bride. Not really spooky but definitely on my list of October movies. This is also probably my last chapter for this story. I wanted to hit all the prompts I missed or had writer's block on but it just did't happen. Perhaps on days where I can't get my other writings to work I'll revisit this one. Thanks for reading!

Huxloween #29-Your Choice Spooky Movie AU

 

Brendol Hux grimaced at the world outside his window. The overcast sky painted the world in shades of gloomy gray while a haze of rain kept the air chill and moist. It was an odious day, perfect for the task ahead. He turned to his wife, a tall wisp of a woman with graying blonde hair and an expression as dour as his own. 

“What a terrible day,” she muttered taking in the scene. “Horrible day for a wedding rehearsal.”

“Indeed,” Brendol agreed smoothing down his red hair with one hand and sipping the brandy he held in the other. 

“The Solos,” Mrs. Hux said with a shudder. “Marrying our son off to new money. It’s beneath us!”

“Would you rather he marry poor like us?” he countered.

Again, his wife shuddered, this time dropping onto the fainting couch to fan herself. “How did it come to this?”

Brendol fixed himself another drink, offering no comfort to his wife. “Pull yourself together woman. Triipio!” he called, his voice booming and echoing off the old mansion walls, growing barren as the Hux family sold off various tapestries and knick knacks to keep the bill collectors at bay.

An older, slender gentleman awkwardly shuffled into the room, apprehension shaking every nerve in his body. “Yes Mr. Hux sir?” he squeaked.

“Bring my son down,” the master of the house ordered.

Quickly Triipio scuttled out of the room and up the stairs to find the younger Hux, Armitage. The young man in question was in his room, of course, where he spent all his time when his parents weren’t parading him around town for a proper spouse. He sat at his desk, pen scratching away at the paper in front of him. Triipio hated to interrupt his master’s musings but he also knew the consequences of keeping the elder master waiting.

“Pardon me sir but, your father has requested your presence,” Triipio said tentatively. 

“Funny, I didn’t hear the undertaker come in,” Armitage grumbled.

“Sir?”

“Nothing. Tell him I’ll be down in a minute.”

Triipio half gasped/half whimpered at that.

Armitage sighed but got up all the same. “Fine. I’ll come down now.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You really need a new job old man, my father is working your nerves down to nothing,” Armitage remarked.

“Employment is not easily acquired in this town I’m afraid.”

Armitage nodded. He understood the predicament, trying himself to find a way to support even a meager lifestyle away from his parents to escape his fate but coming up empty handed. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hux were still in the parlor, a fresh drink in his father’s hand while his mother regarded herself in a hand mirror. Armitage traipsed across the room, dropping into a high-backed chair with none of the grace he was raised with. His mother huffed her disapproval, which he ignored. 

“Listen here boy,” Brendol began, shaking a plump finger in his son’s direction, “I don’t want any monkey business. This rehearsal needs to go off without a hitch. The Solos, tacky as they may be, are our family’s last hope at staying out of the poor house.”

Here, Mrs. Hux shrieked and nearly fainted. Just the mere thought of losing what was left of their money sent her into a fit. Armitage nodded solemnly. While he longed to be free of his parent’s grasp, he also didn’t wish them to suffer. His father had always been a gruff man, showing his love by pushing Armitage into being the kind of man he was. It wasn’t the path the younger Hux wished to follow in however so they often butted heads. But all the same, Armitage knew it came from a place of love. His mother, on the other hand, had once been a rather different woman before their money began to hemorrhage from their vaults. While always the pinnacle of prim and proper, she had doted on the boy behind closed doors, delighting in telling him stories and showering him with kisses, bringing a smile to his face after his father had taken it away. Now she was a shell, panicky and calculating to keep food on the table and the house in the Hux name. It was she who had struck up a conniving friendship with Mrs. Leia Solo, husband of Han Solo, shipping magnate. 

They were new to town and new to money, showing it off with flair and no decorum. It sickened his old money mother, raised in the finest finishing schools with all the charms to land an old money husband. But the Solos were exactly the kind of family they needed to stay afloat. The Solo child, a boy only a couple of years younger than Armitage was named Ben. Armitage had never met his groom to be but, Triipio had caught a glimpse of the lad and had to admit, Armitage surely could do no better, at least in the looks department. Not that looks concerned him. 

When it came to stories, Armitage’s mother secretly favored fairy-tales and stories of love. She filled his head with the idea that when two people joined in marriage, they would be so enthralled with one another, no force or evil could tear them apart. Love could heal wounds, vanquish witches, turn a creature back into a man. Love could do all things but there was no love that could save him from marrying a stranger. 

The room had been silent too long, Armitage getting lost in his thoughts, his mother choking down water while Triipio fanned her to keep from fainting, and his father grew angry waiting for the boy to respond. 

“Are you listening at all?” Brendol barked, bringing his son to his senses.

“I don’t even know this man, what if we don’t love one another?” Armitage queried, letting his worry be heard for the first time since the engagement announcement.

“Love?” Brendol gaped.

“Love!” His mother huffed sitting back up and shooing Triipio away. “Do you honestly think your father and I love one another?”

“Surely you must a little,” Armitage protested.

“My son, our marriage was a smart match, a way to combine fortunes.”

“A lot of good that did.”

“What was that boy?!” Brendol asked, not really looking for his son to repeat himself.

“What happens when the money is gone then? When I’m in the same situation as you two? Mother, surely you would rather a happy son, rich in love rather than money instead of a miserable grump scraping for coins with a man I disdain!” Armitage argued.

“And what of us?” she countered.

Armitage deflated in his chair. The fight leaving him with that simple statement. Money for himself was never a concern, but again, knowing his parents would be destitute, well, he couldn’t live with that. 

“Give him a chance. You might at least find a friend.”

The young man nodded. 

Brendol downed the last of his drink, making only the slightest grimace as the amber liquid slid down his throat. “We’re going to be late.”

As if pulled by puppet strings, Armitage rose from the chair and followed his parents out the main door and into the waiting rickety old carriage, Triipio seated in the driver’s position, reigns in hand. With a snap of the leather strips, the horses took off down the street toward the other side of town where the Solo’s resided.

 

 

Han Solo stood staring out the window at the world beyond. The overcast sky being chewed away by the sun fighting its way free. The rain was a haze, keeping the air chill and moist but not overall unpleasant. “What a glorious day,” he beamed turning to regard his wife who was seated on the chaise sofa sipping tea. 

“I was worried it would be gloomy but it seems fate has smiled down upon us,” Leia agreed. 

“Glorious day for a wedding.”

“Our son, marrying a Hux. I don’t know how we have come to be so lucky,” Han sighed. 

“Pretty soon we’ll be guests at the finest parties, with the finest people, in the finest fashions.”

“As long as Ben doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Leia nodded, eyes a bit wider, thinking of all the ways Ben could make a mess of the day. “Maz,” she called gently.

A little woman, slightly hunched with eyes that were large on their own but magnified immensely by the glasses she wore, entered the room, a smile larger than she graced her face. “Yes ma’am?”

“Could you go fetch Ben? Make sure he is getting ready and not dawdling about up there?”

“Of course, ma’am!” She was off like a shot, more than happy to tease the young master a bit. Maz was considered family, not help, and she thoroughly enjoyed treating the boy as a grandson, which meant giving him a bit of good natured ribbing between the bouts of affection she regularly doted upon him. 

Ben sat relaxed upon his bed, ankles crossed, book in hand. He seemed carefree and calm but inside he was a tumultuous storm of anxiety and insecurities about the days ahead. Marrying a stranger was not his idea of a happy ending, and one of the caliber of the Hux family, well, it was daunting to say the least. Ben Solo had been born to simple parents in a simple house. His first school was at the kitchen table with his mother as his teacher while his father hustled the streets to earn a living. A lucky break had come when he met a man named Lando Calrrision, another swindler but who had had a little bit more luck than his father. Lando had a small savings but no real vision for what to do with it. Han however was an idea man who was able to parlay that small sum into a shipping company rivaled by none. To expand upon his share of the profits, he moved the family outside of the city where land was plentiful and cheap while Lando stayed in the city to oversee the daily running of the company, while Han would come in and out a couple times a month to see what was what. Ben went from a simple life to something complicated. School was no longer at the kitchen table but across town at first and then out of the country later. He struggled, being away from his mother and father who had been his only friends but, he flourished in his studies, proving he was quite the intelligent boy like his father. Which was good new to Han. Lando had no sires and that didn’t seem to be changing any time soon. They both agreed that when the time came, Ben would be the one to take over the company.

Maz entered the room without so much as a tap on the door. “Your mother wants you dressed and ready,” she said, snatching the book from his hands.

“Is it that time already?” he asked, hands gripping his stomach to quiet the fluttering in his stomach.  
“Almost. Nervous?”

“There isn’t a word for what I am. I have transcended nervousness.”

Maz laughed, patting his shoulder. “Everyone gets that way before their wedding.”

Ben shook his head. “This is something else. I am to marry a stranger Maz. What if…what if he hates music? What if he’s dull? What if I disgust him?”

“What if the ground opens up and swallows us all whole? Look, you can’t dwell on the what ifs. You can only control you, and you, my boy, are a bright, funny, charming, and handsome man and if this Armitage Hux doesn’t care for you then, well, I won’t say it out loud because then they’ll call it premeditated instead of an accident,” Maz said with a wink causing Ben to burst into raucous laughter. 

“You’re insane.”

“That’s defense option two. Now, come on. Let’s not keep your parents waiting too long. You know your mother, she’s probably already panicky not being at the church an hour early.”

Ben nodded in agreement, gracefully rising from the bed and following his maid down the stairs to the parlor where his parents were waiting for him. 

“You look so handsome,” Leia cooed smoothing the shoulders of Ben’s jacket and straightening his tie. “Just need to push that hair back-“

Ben swatted her away then, backing up out of her reach. “Leave my hair be. I like it like this.”

Leia sighed but smiled all the same. “Such a willful boy.”

“With parents like mine,” he teased back.

“Get into the carriage before we’re late,” she laughed pushing her son toward the door.

 

The church was on the outskirts of town. A plain building, meant to hold only the townspeople, no more. The inside was just as unremarkable as the outside, both needing small repairs here and there, nothing too dramatic. The priest matched the church. Father Tarkin was tall and thin with hallow cheeks and gray hair to match his skin. His face was constantly screwed into a no-nonsense expression that bordered on anger. Simple things would set him off and most people around the village stayed clear of the clergyman just so they didn’t find themselves on the receiving end of his wrath. Today it was jumpy Armitage Hux that had Father Tarkin on edge, ready to send the boy to his maker. 

Armitage was trying, really, he was, but even on his best day the young man was quite the mess and standing at an altar with a stranger wasn’t doing him any favors. Especially a stranger as handsome as Ben Solo. Upon entering the church, Armitage had been completely taken aback by his groom to be. Ben was a head taller than him with dark hair that hung in loose waves around his chin, and chocolate brown eyes that exuded warmth. Hux felt plain and cold by comparison. Now he was bumbling about the altar trying to remember what to say, when to say it, and what he should be doing as he said it. Every time he flubbed the vows or missed a cue, he could hear his mother and father in the pews behind him, scoffing and groaning their irritation. 

It was their 12th…14th…possibly 20th run and Armitage felt like he was really getting the hang of it. “With this hand, I life your sorrows. With this…your cup will never empty for…damn it!” he howled grabbing the hip that hand connected with the altar as they stepped toward it. The candle toppled over, lighting the edge of the priest’s sleeve. Chaos erupted after that. The fire somehow spread to his farther and a part of the altar while everyone scrambled about in search of water. Armitage managed to trip on his way down the altar steps, falling on top of Mrs. Solo and taking her to the ground.

The fires vanished, leaving small pools of water behind, the altar fire being the last to go out. A stranger, tall, older than the grooms but still younger than their parents, with graying hair wafting back away from his face, and dark eyes that held none of the warmth of Ben’s, stood next to the now scorched wooden structure, empty water pitcher in hand. 

“Seems it was a stroke of good fortune that delivered me to the church a day early,” the stranger mused, his smile making Armitage uneasy. 

“Good fortune indeed,” Mrs. Hux agreed, brushing the remaining cinder from her husband’s jacket.

“And exactly who are you?” Brendol snapped, pushing his wife’s hand away. 

“I’m sorry, seems I have forgotten my manners, I’m Samuel Snoke.”

“And you’re here for the wedding?” Han asked, mood still chipper despite the way the afternoon had progressed.

“Yes. It seems I read the invitation wrong and arrived a day early. I do hope you don’t mind,” Snoke said. His voice was velvet and while it seemed to charm the room, it left a bad feeling in Armitage’s gut. 

The sound of a hand smacking wood drew everyone’s attention back to the altar where Father Tarkin stood shaking with rage. “I want this boy out of my sight!” he bellowed, bony finger extended in Armitage’s direction. “And I will not perform the ceremony tomorrow until he proves he is taking this seriously.”

Armitage hung his head in shame, feeling the daggers his parents were staring into his back. He couldn’t bring himself to look in Ben’s direction, less he see disappointment in his new husband’s beautiful eyes. 

The rehearsal dinner was to be held at the Solo estate, a gaudy mansion on the opposite side of town from the Hux’s. Snoke caught a ride with the Solos while Hux’s shared their own silent carriage ride. Armitage didn’t need to hear his parents say how much they were disappointed him, he could feel it in the air around them. 

Once inside the Solo mansion, Armitage wandered off, claiming he was going to the bathroom. Instead, he found what he assumed was the music room and sat down at the piano. His fingers danced across the keys, losing himself in the song he was making up. The world around him faded away and it wasn’t until a hand found its way onto his shoulder did he realize that someone else was in the room with him. 

Armitage jumped, nearly falling backward off the piano bench, saved only by the hands of Ben Solo who was chuckling a bit. 

“Easy there now,” Ben said softly, righting the other man onto the bench and taking a seat next to him.

“Sorry, I…um…”

“Needed a break from them? I understand.”

Armitage smiled. “You do?”

Nodding, Ben said, “This is all a bit much for me as well.”

“Not the wedding of your dreams?” Armitage questioned, fingers going back to the piano.

“Nothing wrong with the wedding I suppose, it’s the arranged marriage part I’m still grappling with.”

Armitage’s fingers fumbled a bit but he managed to recover.

“Sorry. I’m not saying it’s you…it’s just…I…” Ben was struggling to find the words that wouldn’t offend the man next to him.

“Do you play piano?” Armitage asked changing the subject.

“No. Not really. I had tutors, lessons. They all ended up quitting claiming I had no talent.”

“You need better teachers.”

“I think it’s my hands, they’re too big and clumsy.”

“I would think large hand would be an asset when it comes to playing piano, unlike my dainty ones.”

“I like your hands,” Ben blurted out, watching the pale appendages as they continued roving over the keys. “I like the way you play.”

“Thank you.” Heat rose in Armitage’s cheeks and he didn’t need a mirror to know that they were turning pink. “I’m sorry I ruined the rehearsal.”

“You didn’t ruin it. Not for me.”

“But you don’t want to get married,” Armitage pointed out.

“I never said that. I just said…I’m going to screw this up no matter what I say,” Ben sighed. “I’ve been worried, dreading this all week. Wondering what you would be like and how I would survive a marriage to a man who didn’t love me or even like me.”

“I like you,” Armitage replied in little more than a whisper. “I like your eyes.”

“I love your eyes,” Ben breathed sliding closer to Armitage on the bench.

“My eyes?”

“Yes. You’re sparkling eyes the color of dewy grass on a spring day. And your hair. I adore your copper hair.”

Armitage blushed again. “You’re too kind.”

Ben shook his head. “No, it’s not a matter of kindness. You’re just beautiful.”

Armitage let his leg rest up against Ben’s, his fingers hovering over the piano keys. “So, you like music then?”

“Music, art, literature,” Ben listed. 

“Theater?”

“Absolutely.”

The sound of the piano filled the room again, Armitage playing something slower, more romantic this time. “I could teach you. Piano that is.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

Ben’s hand tentatively reached out to land on Armitage’s leg, his long fingers stroking his thigh softly. “I’d like that.”

It was as if a fire had been lit inside of Armitage the second Ben touched him. For so long in his life, the younger Hux felt empty, almost dead inside but now he could feel the life creeping back in, starting at the very place where his fiancé’s hand was resting. Ben’s soft eyes sought out Armitage’s green ones, and to sink into them forever was too great for Armitage. He got up from the bench, with some grace for once, and began to pace the room.

Ben turned the other way, wondering if he had somehow overstepped his boundaries, doubt taking hold of him once more. “I’m sorry. I seem to have-“

“No!” Armitage interrupted coming round to face the other man. “No, it’s just…I…that is…do you want to get married? To me that is.”

“I seem to have found myself quite taken with you,” Ben admitted. 

“And I you. You are…I don’t think I have the words to express exactly what you are. Beyond beautiful. There is something inside of you that just…it makes me feel alive in ways I haven’t in years. A simple touch and I can’t see anything beyond you.”

It was Ben’s turn to blush now. “Armitage…”

“I have never been in love so I have nothing to compare this feeling to, yet I can’t help but name it love. I wish to marry you Ben Solo. In order to do that, I need to get myself together because Father Tarkin will tolerate no incident tomorrow.”

“I found your bumbling charming.”

“Thank you. Unfortunately, he does not and I do not wish to start our marriage off with you aflame. I’m going to go practice. Go gather myself. Make my excuses at dinner won’t you.” 

“Alright. Where will you go?”

“Out to the woods perhaps. My mind always seems to be clearest out there.”

“Be careful then.”

“I will.” Armitage bent down to lay a chaste kiss on Ben’s cheeks, regretting the gesture only a little when he realized how much he’d rather kiss the man’s full soft lips instead. A kiss for another time. 

 

What little of the sun there had been descended, taking the rain with it, leaving the forest dark and damp in its wake. Armitage expertly ducked the low hanging tree branches and danced around mucky puddles, going a bit deeper into the woods so as not to be disturbed by a curious passerby. He found a clearing not too far away from the edge of town. He could see the church between the trees in the distance. The sight set his nerves quivering again but the thought of Ben’s brown eyes instantly quelled them. He decided keeping his eyes on his groom tomorrow would certainly do him a great service. 

“With this hand,” he began reciting his vows, “I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty for…I…damn it.” With a sigh Armitage started over. “With this hand I…will probably cause death and destruction in that church the likes of which have never been seen.” 

Armitage felt hopeless. What was his problem now? No longer did he doubt the union between he and Ben but now his anxiety seemed to have all new reasons to show itself. No longer was he content to just get through the day, instead wanting it to be special and memorable, for good reasons, not the trial of his peers that would follow should he accidentally kill someone during the ceremony. 

Rousing his courage and determination one more time, he pushed himself away from the tree he had been resting against, and walked to the center of the clearing. “With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way into the darkness. With this ring,” here he paused to remove the ring from his pocket, kneeling down to a strange tree branch sticking up out of the ground, “I ask you to be mine.” He placed the ring on one of the skeletal twigs.

A strange wind howled through the forest, sweeping a collection of leaves up into the air, swirling them into a cyclone around the clearing blocking it from view. Armitage shielded himself from the assault, nearly toppling over as the ground began to shake, splitting open near the spot he had been kneeling. The moon, which had been hidden behind the clouds, appeared suddenly, bathing the clearing in an eerie unnatural light. The leaves swirled ever closer, pushing Armitage back toward the schism in the earth. His heels rested precariously on the edge, his arms dropped from his face to his sides in order to maintain balance and keep from toppling it. 

Just as it seemed the wind was dying down, something clamped down onto his foot. Armitage looked down to see the branch he had been reciting his vows to only a second ago, gripping his shoe with a ferocity simply not possessed by a tree. He tried to shake loose but the thing wouldn’t relent. Panic seized him, sending him to the ground as he struggled to crawl away and break free but instead of the infernal thing letting go or even snapping off from it’s root, the branch came with him, growing longer until he realized with horror, it was no branch at all. From the crack in the ground, appeared a head, neck, shoulders (one of which was attached to what he had mistake for a tree branch), another arm, and a torso. 

Armitage kicked harder, panic giving way to serious terror, as he fought to escape. He managed to break the arm free from the rest of the body, and he scrambled to get away from the man crawling up out of the very earth. His back landed against the base of the tree he had been leaning against earlier and this caused his brain to short out. Instead of continuing his escape, Armitage merely sat there, watching the strange ghoul finish freeing itself. 

A ghoul he was indeed, for this didn’t look like any man Armitage had ever seen. The hand and arm that had been sticking up out of the ground was nothing but bone, the arm wrapped in tatters of a suit jacket, the hand still gripping his foot. The other arm was obstructed from view by the jacket sleeve but seemed to be more fleshed out while his face was gaunt, cheeks sinking in along with his eyes, which seemed to have a light to them even though the rest of his appearance gave the impression this man was long dead. Dirt clung to the decrepit suit which had holes here and there exposing bits of rotting flesh or peeks into what lied beneath that skin, like the chunk of exposed rib on his left side. Armitage let his eyes drift back up to the creature’s face, noticing for the first time that it’s nose had long since fallen off somewhere along with the ears, or perhaps they were well hidden under the mop of dirty black/blue hair that hung in matted waves nearly down to his shoulders. 

Fully freed from his earthly tomb, he stood before Hux, smiling down on him. Even though he was cowered on the forest floor, Armitage could tell that the man before him was taller than him, and judging by the way the suit fit, had been quite muscular before whatever had happened to him happened. The forest grew impossibly darker. Armitage’s head began to spin and he realized the encroaching darkness was him fading into unconsciousness. 

“You may now kiss the groom,” the ghostly corpse breathed in a sing-song sort of way.

It was the last thing Armitage heard, or saw, before the world turned black and went silent.

 

It had been a couple of hours since Armitage had wandered out into the wood. Ben stood at the parlor windows gazing out into the street for any sign of his intended’s return. With every passing tick of the clock, his worry grew more and more. The Huxs, however, seemed completely unconcerned by their son’s disappearance. Even the jittery butler was nonchalant about the whole ordeal. They claimed Armitage frequently strolled through the forest and could even be gone for half the day.

Nothing they said however eased Ben’s concerns. The night air was downright frigid now and Armitage had left without a proper coat. Then there was the appearance of the mysterious Mr. Snoke. His mere presence was a shadow over the house, although his parents didn’t seem to notice. Or perhaps their polite nature clouded their judgement. Either way, Ben was keen on keeping his space when it came to the man. Snoke however, didn’t have the same apprehension when it came to Ben and had been hovering around his personal space all evening. 

Again, the mysterious Snoke wandered toward the window Ben was currently in front of, making no attempt to strike up a conversation, content on just skimming Ben’s bubble. A shudder wracked Ben’s body and he did his best to conceal it but, he was certain Snoke had seen and perhaps even reveled in the discomfort he was causing. The older man sauntered off, amused grin on his face as he went to engage Han in conversation again. 

“Where are you Armitage?” Ben whispered, breath fogging up the frosted window. “Perhaps I should go out into the woods and retrieve him,” he offered addressing the room now.

“Oh Ben no. You’re not familiar with the area, you could become lost,” Leia argued.

“Besides, Armitage is fine. I’m telling you, he does this often,” Mrs. Hux countered.

Again, Ben wasn’t convinced and returned to his vigil. A figure approached in the dark, much too small to be Armitage but his heart skipped a beat all the same. It was Maz, practically running up the walkway. She burst through the front door, not bothering to remove her coat before she sprinted into the parlor, face flushed, wide eyes misty with tears. 

“Oh! I just heard the most awful news!” Maz cried, not bothering to stifle her sniffles. “I was in the pub and the crier came in and he…he…he said…”

“Maz, dear sit down,” Han urged ushering the old woman into a chair and sliding a hot cup of tea into her hand. “Drink this and then try again.”

But Maz pushed the tea aside, hell-bent on getting this story out. “The town crier said he had been walking his route and saw the Hux boy in the arms of another man in wood!”

All eyes turned to Mr. and Mrs. Hux, both of whom seemed just as shocked as everyone else. Triipio seemed on the verge of fainting. 

“That can’t be true!” Ben argued, tearing himself from the window. “He…he said that…no. I simply won’t believe this. That crier has been wrong before.”

“Yes!” Mrs. Hux chimed in. “Our Armitage would never be caught in such a scandalous position. Surely this is some mistake.”

“We’ll have a search party rallied to search the woods. If my son was in the arms of another, it must have been something nefarious,” Brendol added. “Mr. Solo, would you wish to accompany me?”

Han nodded making his way to the door with the Hux patriarch. Ben followed, set on joining as well. 

“No Ben, stay here with your mother,” Han ordered softly. 

“But-“

“No argument.”

Ben sulkily dragged himself back into the room where everyone was gathered. Snoke had made no move to join the search party and Ben wasn’t surprised. 

 

Sound came rushing back into Armitage’s ears. It wasn’t loud or overwhelming but after the deafening silence, it was jarring. He cracked an eye open to observe his surroundings and see where the chatter he could hear was coming from. All he could see was a stone wall reaching above him and the night sky. Even the sky wasn’t familiar. Instead of the deep blues he was used to, this sky seemed purple mixed with green. He wondered if he had suffered a brain injury. Worry seized him. What if he had? The last thing he remembered was being in the woods and this was certainly not the woods. 

“Hell,” Armitage muttered trying to sit up a bit, using the wall for support.

“He’s awake,” the voice said excitedly. 

Armitage turned to the direction of the conversation and the missing memories flooded back. “Oh no!” he shrieked trying to crawl away from the corpse he had encountered in the woods.

“He’s panicking,” another voice said.

“Don’t be frightened!” the dead man pleaded crouching down next to him. “You fainted and we brought you here. Well, I did. These two are useless.”

Armitage looked around for the other people the man spoke of but found no one. “Pardon?”

That was when a worm and a spider crawled free from their respective hiding places on the corpse’s body. The spider giving a little wave and the worm a slight bow. 

“Hello, I’m Finn,” the worm greeted.

“Rey,” said the spider.

Hux fought off the urge to faint again. “What…where the hell am I?”

“It’s kid of hard to explain really. It’s technically the underworld-“

“Underworld?! Am I dead?! Oh no no no no no no noooo!!!” Armitage shrieked jumping up and pacing now. “I can’t be dead.”

“You’re not. I am,” the corpse replied standing to stop the frantic back and forth. “I brought you down here because you fainted. The excitement must have gotten to you.”

Armitage looked down at the dead hands holding his arms and nearly lost it when he spotted the wedding ring that rightfully belonged on Ben’s finger on the boney one of the corpse. “The ring,” he whispered.

“It’s such a beautiful one too!” the corpse beamed. “I have been waiting so long and I thought that perhaps the day would never come but then there you were and those vows! So beautiful! So romantic!”

The living man still wasn’t understanding exactly what was happening here “I think I need a drink.”

“You’re in luck. The pub is just right here. Let’s have a celebratory drink.”

“Right. Um…this is…awkward…that would be the word…what do I call you?”

“Oh! You’re so silly. Kylo of course! “

“Kylo. Right.” Armitage allowed Kylo to lead him the few steps down the street and into the bar. He didn’t know what to expect in an underworld bar but honestly his imagination wouldn’t be able to conjure up anything this elaborate and strange. The dead were everywhere. A skeleton band played a set on the stage, various kinds of corpses littered the bar and tables, a severed hand passed out drinks while a bodiless head took orders. The world spun for a moment but Armitage took control yet again, afraid if he fainted he would wake up to something even weirder. 

“What would you like?” Kylo asked pushing Armitage into one of the empty chairs at a vacant table.

He wanted to say that he’d like to get out of here but he doubted that would get him very far. “Brandy,” he answered. It was the only alcohol he could think of, mostly because it was the one his father favored. 

Kylo traipsed off to the bar and Armitage tried to reason how the underworld would even have real alcohol. 

The music had stopped, something that had escaped Hux’s notice until the leader of the skeleton band dropped down into the chair opposite him. The sudden appearance of the undead bones startled him, nearly taking him off the chair. 

“Didn’t mean to spook you,” the skeleton apologized. “So, you’re the man who won our Kylo’s heart.”

“Um, I guess. Yes. I mean yes…yes,” Armitage answered.

“He’s been waiting so long. Tragic tale it is.”

“I’m sorry?”

“What happened to him.”

Armitage was curious now. “What exactly did happen to Kylo?”

“Well, years ago our Kylo fell in love with a handsome drifter. Kylo’s parents weren’t too keen on the match so they forbid the boy from seeing him. Our Casanova convinced young Kylo to run off together, told him to wait for him in the woods in the clearing and well….WHACK!” 

Armitage jumped again at the sudden crescendo in the story but quickly settled back down. 

“Next thing he knew, he was here,” the skeleton finished shaking his head. “Kylo has been waiting ever since for someone to ask for his hand in marriage and free him.”

“That is tragic.”

“Not anymore,” Kylo chimed in setting the drink down in front of Hux. “Now, I have my husband.”

The skeleton got up with a smile. “And a blessed day it is.”

“Thank you, Poe.”

“Have a nice night kids.”

Armitage studied his undead husband. Trying to imagine what life would be like flowing through his veins. Kylo certainly would have been a handsome fellow, possibly not much different than Ben. Ben. Ben would be so worried that he hadn’t come back! And what time was it anyway? Had he missed the wedding entirely? Panic rose in his gut for the hundredth time that day. He needed to get back to the surface and explain to Ben what had happened. 

“What are you thinking about?” Kylo asked dreamily.

“That…um…we…my parents! Yes. You need to meet them. I mean, how could we possibly be married without you meeting my parents,” Armitage lied, instantly hating himself as he did so.

“Great! Where are they buried?”

“Oh, um, well they’re…” he pointed upward.

“That is a bit of a trick isn’t it. Hmmmm…” Kylo hummed. “I got it! Obi-wan!”

“Obi-what?”

“Obi-wan. He’s a very wise and very old man in town. If anyone can get us up there it’s him.”

“Great. Let’s go see Obi-wan!”

 

 

The search party had lasted an hour before packing it in and returning to the Solo house empty handed, much to Ben’s dismay. There was no sign of Armitage anywhere, nor the strange man he had last been seen with. Ben tried not to let the hopelessness sink in but it was getting harder to keep it at bay. The Huxs, were now not only worried for their son’s safety but their future as well as they watched the Solos become less concerned and more angry.

“I suppose we should tell Father Tarkin we are postponing the wedding,” Leia sighed.

“No! It’s far too soon for that. He could turn up at any minute,” Mrs. Hux protested.

Leia looked doubtful. 

“Perhaps he is at home,” Brendol offered. “My wife and I will search the house, see if he didn’t leave a clue of sorts if he isn’t there.”

Mrs. Hux nodded vigorously rising from her chair to slip into her coat. “Yes. We’ll search the house.” They left without another word, Triipio rushing off to fetch the carriage to take them home leaving only the Solos and their house guest, Snoke. 

“Seems a shame,” Snoke began swirling the wine in his glass, “to waste a wedding. All the guests coming in from out of town, the money spent, and of course, the rumors in town. Surely this will ruin the Huxs, I just hope it won’t taint your name as well.”

Leia worried her lip with her teeth thinking of all the implications this scandal could have on her son. It had never been her desire to climb the social ladder but now that they had come so far, well, she couldn’t fathom letting her son fall back down to the bottom. Having new money was hard enough when it came to getting your children the finer things. New money and a scandal, well, it could possibly even ruin their business. 

Ben eyed the older man suspiciously, not quite sure where he was going with this, but knowing he wouldn’t like it none the less.

“It was just the other day at the royal palace that I heard that something very similar had happened to the eldest daughter of Countess Ventress, up until that moment I didn’t even know she had a third daughter, but apparently after her groom to be absconded with another woman, well, she was written off from society. Seen as bad goods as it were,” Snoke continued.

Leia heard only the word palace in that story and her mind began to reel. It seemed Lord Snoke was a man of means and station. She figured he had been a friend or relative of the Huxs, never seeing him before in her life nor recognizing the name.

“The palace?” she questioned innocently.

“Yes, tea with the prince.”

Ben realized with horror exactly what Snoke was playing at. And unfortunately, it was working. He could see his mother working out his entire future, seated at Snoke’s side, rubbing elbows with the royal family. Now, more than ever, he needed Armitage to come back.

 

Obi-wan was a skeleton, with a small beard. It was something Armitage couldn’t quite wrap his head around. How on Earth did a skeleton have facial hair? He tried not to focus on it, instead concentrating on the task at hand, getting back to the surface so he could find Ben. He felt awful, truly, about having to deceive Kylo, especially after hearing his tale of woe, but all the same, he didn’t belong in the underworld and then man he loved was waiting for him in the land of the living. 

“Ah, here it is,” Obi-wan cheered pulling vial of purple colored liquid from a chest in the corner. “This spell will take you to the land of the living. When you’re ready to return, just say ‘death star’, and you’ll immediately be sent back to the underworld.”

“Death star?” Armitage questioned.

“Problem? I can make it something else. Want it to be fart goblin?”

“Death star is good,” he assured the grumpy old skeleton.

“Damn kids,” Obi-wan muttered. “Are you ready?”

The couple nodded, Hux bracing himself for whatever was to come. But he felt nothing and when he opened his eyes, they were back in the clearing in the woods. 

“Weird,” he commented.

“Alright, which way?” Kylo asked heading for the town.

“No no no no no no,” Armitage cried pushing Kylo back. “You need to wait here. My parents are…well…you’re going to be a bit of a shock for them. Let me explain to them what happened and soften the…um…blow. Then, I will come fetch you to meet them.”

“Yeah that’s probably best. My appearance is a bit…jarring,” Kylo agreed.

“Just wait here and I’ll return.” Armitage placed a quick kiss on the undead man’s cheek, telling himself it came from the guilt eating him up inside before scurrying off into town.

 

Ben slammed his bedroom door and threw himself down onto his bed. He couldn’t believe that his parents had been suckered into Lord Snoke’s manipulative plan. The wedding between he and Armitage had been called off, replaced with the wedding of he and Snoke. A man who was not only a stranger, but clearly harbored ill intent in his heart. 

“How could Armitage do this?” Ben sobbed, face buried in his pillow. 

The door creaked open slowly, and Maz’s large head poked through, stepping into the room when she saw her young employer devastated. Gently, she sat on the bed next to him, stroking his hair softly. “It’ll be alright,” she cooed.

“I can’t marry him Maz. I won’t!” 

“I know.”

“Where is Armitage? He said…he said loved me.” The crying became frantic and choked him. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

Maz forced him to sit up, wiping the tears from his face. “There there my boy. No more of that. He will turn up and when he does, and if his excuse is good enough, you can marry the lad. Your mother and father want nothing but your happiness.”

“Then why force me to marry Lord Snoke?”

“They worry for your reputation and the effect this scandal will have on it. I will talk to them.”

Ben dropped forward, resting his head on the old woman’s shoulder. “I love you Maz.”

“And I you dear.” She rose from the bed, patting Ben on the head gently. “Try to get some sleep tonight. It’s been quite the day.” And with that, she left him alone. 

Armitage ducked through the bushes, trying to avoid the large windows of the Solo mansion as he rounded the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ben so he could find the right window to climb up to. After circling the house twice, he finally saw Ben’s shadow flit across the curtains of a second story window. He looked to his right and saw a trellis wrapped in vines crawling up the stone wall and began his ascent. He no more cleared the bottom window when he heard Mrs. Solo and the maid enter the kitchen.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this marriage ma’am?” Maz asked.

“Lord Snoke is a smart match for Ben. He can offer more than the Huxs ever could. He knows the queen,” Leia answered, sounding more as if she was trying to convince herself. 

“Lord Snoke?” Armitage mouthed in disbelief. Was Ben already marrying someone else?

“I know what is best for my son Maz, and I am confident Lord Snoke will take good care of him while giving him the life he deserves.”

Armitage nearly let go of the trellis in shock. It took him a few minutes to recover from this news but when he did, he was quick to finish his climb to get some answers. 

Ben was sitting cross-legged on his bed, head buried in his hands. The sound of his window being forced open caught his attention, snapping his eyes toward it, prepared to fend off an intruder. 

“You’re marrying someone else?” Armitage asked incredulously. “I’ve only been gone a few hours!”

“Armitage?” 

“Why are you marrying Lord Snoke?”

“Where have you been?”

“I…that’s for another time.”

“You were seen with another man!” Ben cried.

“And you’re apparently marrying another man!” Armitage dropped down onto the edge of the bed, adrenaline leaving his body. “I was taken…kind of. This is all so very complicated.”

“Armitage?” Kylo called from the open window, startling both men on the bed.

“Kylo!” Hux shouted, surprised. “I told you-“

“Who is this?” Ben questioned. 

“I’m Kylo.”

“Kylo?”

“Yes, Armitage’s husband.”

“Husband!”

“I can explain,” Armitage cut in. “Kylo is dead and-“

“Dead?!” Ben screamed jumping up and backing away toward the door.

“I thought you were going to get your parents!” Kylo yelled.

“I was but-“

“Who is this man?”

“Ben is my fiancé,” Armitage admitted, defeat quickly enveloping him.

“Death star,” Kylo growled wrapping an arm around Armitage’s shoulders and dragging him back to the underworld, leaving Ben alone and bewildered. 

 

Armitage was quickly left alone when they arrived back in the underworld, Kylo getting lost in a crowd of the undead as they shuffled by to welcome a newcomer. He tried to call his name and apologize but it was no use. Kylo didn’t wish to hear it and Armitage couldn’t quite blame him. 

He sunk to the ground, back resting against the cold stone wall. “Getting married?” he sighed, letting his head drop forward. “He’s getting married to someone else. I thought…I thought he loved me. Not that I have any room to talk, being married myself.” This was all such a terrible mess, the man he loved marrying another while the man he was married to was off in a huff somewhere. He had to correct one of these situations. His heart told him he needed to find another way up to the surface while his head claimed it was useless. 

 

Kylo ignored Armitage’s pleas for forgiveness, refusing to turn around so he couldn’t see the utter devastation that had surely overtake his face. He was thankful that his tears had dried up upon death and that crying wasn’t an option. He found a lonely alley with a large box to sit on and proceeded to claim the space. 

Finn popped free from Kylo’s ear, wiggling his way onto the man’s shoulder as Rey slid down a string of spider silk to join them. 

“What’s the matter?” Rey asked. 

“He doesn’t want me. He has someone else. I fiancé,” Kylo answered.

“A fiancé?” Finn snarled. “Why I out to-“

“Hush,” Rey commanded. “This fiancé, what does he have that you don’t?”

“You mean besides a pulse?”

“Living is overrated.”

“Not to those still alive. I was a fool.”

“You are not! They may have been engaged but it’s you sitting here with his ring.”

“That’s right,” Finn agreed.

“But he went up there to see him,” Kylo protested.

“And perhaps it was to say goodbye,” Rey offered.

Kylo shrugged and huddled into himself. 

 

“It was a corpse!” Ben insisted, voice booming through the halls of the house trying to make his parents understand. “Armitage was in my bedroom with a corpse. An undead man claiming to be his wife!”

“Ben dear, sit down,” Leia whined reaching for her son’s hand. 

“Sit down?! We must do something! We have to rescue him!”

“Rescue him?” Han laughed. “This is madness.”

“I am not mad!”

“Then you are lying. Pick one!”

“I am not lying either! There was a damned corpse in my bedroom and it took Armitage away!”

Leia and Han exchanged worried glances. Was their son really so desperate he would concoct such a tale?

 

It took a few wrong turns, but Armitage managed to find his way back to the bar he had been in earlier, deeming it the only safe place. The sound of a piano wafted out onto the street and he was surprised to see Kylo sitting the bench. Cautiously, Armitage approached the bench and took a seat when he wasn’t rebuffed. Kylo refused to look at him but he still took it as a better sign than being chased off. 

Armitage let his fingers wander the keys, trying to compliment the melody Kylo was playing. The undead man seemed irritated at first, but allowed Armitage to carry on their duet. The tune carried on for a while, dying off when Kylo’s hand managed to break free and drop to the floor sending them into a fit of laughter. 

“Well, that was something,” Kylo chuckled picking his hand up and reattaching it. “Spirited thing.”

“I like spirited.”

Kylo smiled weakly.

“I owe you an apology, for deceiving you and I have thought of a way to make it up.”

“Oh?” Kylo asked intrigued.

“I’d like to have a proper wedding, with you a proper groom.”

“But, what about Ben?”

“I’d like to have you,” Armitage repeated.

“A proper wedding?”

“At the church with a cake and food. Everyone will be invited.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yes. Let me do this for you. Let’s make this marriage official.”

“If we do this, you’ll be committing to staying down here.”

“I know,” Armitage said.

“The living can’t stay down here,” Kylo explained.

“Oh.” 

“Oh.”

Armitage considered this. Going through with this marriage would mean his death. But, going back home would surely be the same fate, at least emotionally. Sure, he didn’t really know Kylo but from what he did know, he liked. He wouldn’t be able to bare watching Ben walk down the street on Snoke’s arm. “Let’s get these wedding plans underway.”

 

A party in the underworld was mostly unheard of and a wedding had certainly never happened. This set everyone ablaze with excitement, rounding up supplies to take up to the surface world. The cake being prepared was obnoxiously tall but looked delicious all the same. Kylo’s suit was being mended as was Armitage’s which had sustained a couple of injuries on his way below. Obi-wan was busy preparing the poison that would make Armitage’s stay in the underworld permanent. He placed the murky liquid in a golden chalice to be used during the ceremony.

 

Morning came far too soon, Ben not sleeping a wink through the night. He had no way to save Armitage nor himself and the wedding was upon them. Maz was fussing about his suit and hair, while Ben tried to think of something, anything, to get him out of this. 

In the blink of an eye, they were at the church, the organ banging out a tune that was supposed to be a wedding march but sounded like death. Ben felt his knees weaken and his whole body became a fountain of sweat. His feet carried him to the altar against his wishes. It was like his body hand a mind of its own. 

Lord Snoke looked incredibly pleased with himself and it made Ben’s stomach want to drop out of his body. 

“Smile darling,” Snoke sneered into Ben’s ear.

“What is there to smile about,” Ben grumbled back.

“Now now, you only have to suffer through this wedding and the night ahead and then your use will have run its course. You can join your fiancé’s undead husband while I enjoy your fortune and company.”

Ben’s whole body went cold and rigid. So that was the game then. Marry him and kill him for his money. Ben had to admit, death was preferable to living his life as this monster’s husband.

Before Father Tarkin could begin the ceremony, the church doors burst open, allowing a party of the undead to fill the old rickety building.

“What is the meaning of this?” Tarkin shouted.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Poe called leading the procession, “but we need to borrow the church.”

“This is most…” Tarkin trailed off, realizing he was addressing a skeleton. 

“Armitage!” Ben cried spotting his fiancé in the crowd. 

Armitage had to fight the urge to run to him, squeezing Kylo’s hand to keep himself rooted to the spot.

“Oh my God, he is with the undead!” Leia shrieked.

Mrs. Hux, who had come with her husband to the church hoping their son would appear fainted onto Brendol, who pushed her down onto the pew. 

“Armitage, what is the meaning of this?!” Brendol demanded.

“Kylo?” Snoke gasped finally noticing the man next to Armitage.

“Snoke,” Kylo whispered.

“You’re supposed to be dead!”

The mood of the room darkened as realization dawned on Kylo. 

“He plans to kill me after the ceremony,” Ben interjected.

“You killed me!” Kylo yelled.

Chaos erupted. Snoke pulled a sword free from a passing corpse, holding the blade to Ben’s throat. Armitage jumped into action, reaching for a sword of his own, and failing to free it from the body it currently occupied. Snoke wasn’t waiting, he lunged through the crowd after Armitage, splitting the wedding party in two, and accidentally splitting a dead man in two as well. 

Armitage managed to move out of the way, dropping to the floor to crawl under the pews as Snoke gave chase from above, slashing between the wooden benches hoping to catch a piece of him. Kylo pulled the other sword free and slid it across the ground to Armitage, who flipped onto his back slicing the air above in an effort to keep Snoke at bay as he continued his backwards crawl.

They were out of pews now. Armitage jumped to his feet, blocking the wild blows coming from the other man. He knew this would end with death, and he was fairly certain it would be his own. Snoke was the better swordsman, Armitage having no experience with a blade. They continued this way, Snoke attacking while Hux barely managed keep himself out of harm’s way until something miraculous happened, he tripped over the rug’s corner, bumping into a large candelabra, that tipped over onto Snoke, setting him ablaze. Armitage used the distraction to disarm his opponent, sending the sword to the back of the church where it was picked up by its original owner.

Snoke managed to put himself out, freeing himself from his jacket and patting out the remaining few flames on his arm. “You little shit,” he hissed.

“A little shit who won,” Armitage shot back. He turned around to find Kylo standing next to Ben, each regarding him with a look of relief and apprehension. “Are you both alright?” 

“Yes,” they replied in unison, exchanging nervous smiles with one another.

“Kylo, I…” Armitage began hoping he would find the words as he went.

“No, please. You belong with Ben. I…I had my chance,” Kylo sighed.

“Poor Kylo, nobody wants him,” Snoke laughed, snatching a golden chalice from Obi-wan’s hand.

“You don’t-“ Obi-wan protested.

“Shut up,” Snoke snapped. “Here’s to Kylo, hopelessly single even in death.” He downed the drink in one solid gulp, not tasting the liquid until it was too late. Pain enveloped his entire body, sending tremors through him the forced Snoke to his knees. Foamy bile broke free from his mouth spilling onto the floor, obstructing his airway, leaving him breathless. The world went dark and when Snoke next rose, he was a shade of purple-blue and ice cold to the touch. 

The undead party began to creep toward the freshly deceased man, brandishing a bevy of objects turned weapons they had on their person. Snoke tried to ward them off but it was no use. The horde carried him off through the back door of the church which did nothing to muffle his pained panicked screams. 

Armitage winced at every shriek, turning again to face his grooms. “Well, interesting day to say the least.”

Kylo took Ben’s hand and placed it in Armitage’s. “I wish you both well.”

“What about you?”

“Me? You freed me. I’m able to move on now. Thank you, Armitage.” Kylo slipped the wedding band from his finger and Armitage’s free hand. “Thank you, again.”

Kylo walked out the church doors, feeling the chill breeze on his face and allowing it to carry him away as a mist up into the night sky. Armitage watched, no feelings of guilt or sadness, knowing that his dead groom was finally at peace.


End file.
